Blocking your quilt may seem like a real chore, but if you're wanting your quilt to hang nicely on a wall, it's the one extra step that really makes all the difference.

Densely quilted quilts, especially those with trapunto tend to hang wobbly. Blocking is the only way to ensure your quilt hangs straight and true.

In order to block your quilt, you will need to collect the following materials:

• 2 pieces of insulation foam from your local hardware store
• T pins
• Tape Measure
  

I personally use 2" foam that I lean against a wall for a design wall and also throw down on the floor for blocking quilts. There's really not an alternative to using foam insulation because it's waterproof and can be punctured with pins.

Note: If you have not prewashed your fabric, blocking your quilt may cause the colors to bleed. Proceed with caution!

Blocking your quilt

1. Using a long tape measure, record the length and width of your quilt through the middle so you know exactly how big your quilt is originally.

2. Fill up your bathtub with warm to hot water. If you have done trapunto quilting, you will need to dissolve the water soluble threads and it will not dissolve in cold water.

3. Lay your quilt into the water and agitate it very gently to encourage the thread to dissolve. You might even want to let your quilt sit and soak for 10-30 minutes.

4. While your quilt is soaking, set up your blocking surface. Lay down both pieces of insulation foam on the floor, edge to edge. If the boards are dirty or dusty make sure to cover them with a spare sheet.

5. Once all the thread looks to be dissolved, wring out your quilt and try to get all the excess water out. Take your quilt to the blocking board and lay it out. Using a ruler, and starting in the middle of your quilt, line up one side of the quilt with the straight edge of the insulation foam so that the border is completely straight. Pin this side in place using T pins.

6. Now using your recorded measurements and a tape measure, stretch your quilt to size and pin it in place starting in the middle and working your way to the corners. Repeat this step with the lengthwise side working from the middle out to the sides.

7. When you get to the corners, use a large square ruler to square up the corners and make sure your border is exactly straight. Hold the whole quilt down with pins and leave it overnight to dry.

Once your quilt is totally dry, take your cutting mat and ruler and trim your quilt to size while it’s still down on the blocking board. Now your quilt is ready for binding!

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