Designing with the Medieval Walls Quilt Block

There's more about the finished sizes of these patchwork designs at the bottom of this page.

The outlines in and around the blocks have been eliminated to help you get a better idea of the finished patchwork design.

Straight set quilt layouts are colored in red and white while diagonal (on-point) layouts in turquoise and white to help you quickly identify the two settings. 

For more info on quilt layouts, click here.

When sashings and cornerstones are added, they are added between the blocks and around the outside edge of the quilt.

Blocks set edge-to-edge, no sashing or cornerstones

Medieval Walls - Variation #1 (click each image for a closer look)

First in straight sets (below, left) and in a diagonal set (below, right)...remember red for straight, turquoise for diagonal sets. :)

The dark corner squares (#6) meet to form larger squares. Using all scraps of a single color with similar values would liven this design right up.

To make it would require some changes to the pressing directions. Blocks whose outside edge seams nest together are easier to match at the seamlines.

Blocks with sashings and cornerstones

Adding sashing to a quilt is certainly a great way to change up a design. It's also a terrific technique to coax your patchwork to a larger size to accommodate a particular bed or wall space.

In each of these examples the width of the sashing strips is equal to one grid unit in the block. For our 9", 13-1/2" and 18" patterns, those corresponding grid units (or finished measurements) are 1", 1-1/2" and 2" (or 1-1/2", 2" and 2-1/2" wide unfinished or cut).

Medieval Walls - Variation #2 (click each image for a closer look)

This first one is about as easy as it gets, solid cut light strips for sashing and a solid dark square cornerstone.

Same layout, but now swapping the values—a dark sash and light cornerstone—a much bolder design.

Again, using scraps of a single color, close in value would up the interest.

In fact, to use use your scrap stash, you might consider splitting the long sashings into 9 individual squares—each 1 grid unit—cut 1-1/2", 2" or 2-1/2" for 9", 13-1/2" or 18" finished blocks, respectively.

More piecing, yes, but simple piecing.

Medieval Walls - Variation #5 (click each image for a closer look)

Construct these sash strips from alternating darks and lights, with a dark square for cornerstones.

The large dark squares are formed where the corners of the blocks meet.

Medieval Walls Finished Quilt Sizes

The measurements for all our Medieval Walls quilts are rounded up to the nearest 1/8".

If you'd like to compare these sizes to standard quilt sizes, click here to either see or download your own Standard Sizes chart.

In this first table are the measurements for quilts without sashing. The 1/4" wide binding IS included in the measurements.

Includes 1/4" wide binding, no sashing
Setting	Block Layout	Finished Block Sizes
		9"	13-1/2"	18"
Straight	5x6	45½" x 54 ½"	68" x 81½"	90½" x 108½"
On-Point	4x5	51½" x 64½"	76⅞" x 96"	102⅜" x 127⅞"

In this second table the measurements include sashing, the finished and unfinished widths of which are listed in parentheses below the block size.

These widths are 1 grid unit wide—remember, the Medieval Walls block is drawn on a 9x9 grid.

Includes 1/4" wide binding AND sashing
Setting	Block Layout	Finished Block Sizes
		9" (1"/1½")	13-1/2" (1½"/2")	18" (2"/2½")
Straight	5x6	51½" x 61½"	77" x 92"	102½" x 122½"
On-Point	4x5	57⅛" x 71¼"	85⅜" x 106⅝"	133¾" x 142"

An itch I just couldn't scratch, until…

After making the sample of this block, I just couldn't get the design out of my head.

The quilt designs on this page made the itch even worse. So I started making scrappy pink Medieval Walls blocks. This is how far I've gotten.

The only thing I'd change in these blocks is to remove a couple of the light-light pinks. I see a bit of frog-stitching (Rip-it! Rip-it! Rip-it!) in my future, but I'm 'tickled-pink' with how this is turning out. 

Now I just have to choose a setting!