The Craft in Blocks and Borders Once you select your patterns, blocks, templates, etc, you will need to prepare your fabric. You will need to consider how to organize your blocks, once you gather the necessary amount needed to complete your project. You want to consider your borders as well. You will need graph paper, since you will need to sketch in order to determine how many blocks you will need to complete your quilt. To get started you will also need to decide the size of quilt you want to create and then you can consider settings. To set your blocks, or organize the blocks you can consider borders, sashing, and cornerstones. The diagonal settings are another style you can consider, as well as the straight set. Sashing works in the same way as the straight sets, i.e. you merely block your settings against the other and in an organized line. After you will run horizontal and vertical lines, which makes up your 9-patch scheme. The blocks in this instance are interacting with the stitches in three lines and with only three blocks. Use the “block-to-block” steps as listed above to continue. To create a visual, think of a box, or frame with nine rows across and nine rows down in a framed grid. Now add star-shapes, creating nine stars in three rows across your grid. If you can visualize the grid, you can get an ideal how the slash and straight setting works. Next, add narrow stripes at the corners and around your row of boxes. If you can visualize, you have created a grid of lattice and/or slash. The pattern is designed to enhance your quilts overall outcome, yet you can add different effects to achieve your ultimate design. You can create an ordinary quilt from this grid, or you can crisscross the framework by interwoven your open-mesh frame, crisscrossing the stripes until you form a pattern. Some crafters use geometric patterns to arrange points. How to set diagonal patterns: If you want to create a diagonal pattern, or set you will need to organize, and add your blocks, placing them diagonally across your fabric, and on the points. Work a 45-angle into the scheme and work at the side. “On point” is a crafters term to state that the set blocks are on the points. In the middle of the diagonal set, you will need to create triangles to make up the middle section of your pattern. You will need large and small triangles, which the larger batch will make up the center, while the smaller batch will fit the corners. Slashing terrazzo or strips is optional as well. In addition to the slashing, straight, or diagonal, you can also choose to vertical set, or else the strip set. Crafters refer to the strip set as “Strippy.” Forming the Strippy is easy. You merely place your blocks perpendicularly in narrow pieces and divide the other narrow pieces, or strips. The medallion is another set you can consider when crafting quilts. You will need to create middle equidistant from the other points. Next, you will need to focus on the points in the middle and surround them with various styles of blocks, slashing, or borders. Now create your borders. To start your borders add your blocks to achieve the dimension of your borders at the side. You will need to factor in the slashing measurements, as well as the blocks. Example: Three blocks measuring 10-inch square, plus four strips at one inch wide equals 34 inches. Once you finish add a quarter or ¼-inch seam and leave room to each side of your fabric. Now you can move to finish your borders.