# 09 | Merge blocks

## <mark style="color:blue;">Exercise 09</mark>

**09** | *Merge cell blocks together & add a block to a merged cell.*

***Objective*** | To create different sized blocks on your quilt grid by merging together smaller cell blocks into larger cell blocks.

***Did You Know*** | Good examples of quilts using merged blocks are panel quilts, medallion quilts, and quilts with rectangular border blocks.&#x20;

### <mark style="color:blue;">01 | Merge Smaller Cells into Bigger Cell Block</mark>

1. On the quilt grid, select the cell blocks that you want to merge together by <mark style="color:blue;">**clicking**</mark> on them. Selected blocks will be outlined in blue.&#x20;
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FGFQTEDp5eYSo19TokuXE%2F01%20selected.png?alt=media\&token=23192687-8c50-40bf-8668-44d4b48dac3a)
2. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**Merge**</mark> button (<img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FbJ6HGynpktOAUR7zPQCU%2F02a%20merge.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c8b74f62-9211-4bac-9100-917086040978" alt="" data-size="line">) in the central Toolbar.
3. Now, instead of 4 smaller cell blocks, we now have 1 larger cell block (that is the same size as 4 smaller cell blocks put together).
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2F3rc3GNEh5xTr0S8VIfy3%2F03%20merged.png?alt=media\&token=d644ec6e-3be3-436d-ae98-fc206300b73f)
4. <mark style="color:blue;">**Repeat**</mark> *Steps 01.1-2* this as many times as you need to create all your merged blocks. In this example, I'm going to create 4 larger merged cell blocks in the center.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2F12t4NNGykzxgL6CkgJJA%2F04%20repeated.png?alt=media\&token=7810821f-9fcf-4dfc-8e59-19e927590e18)

### <mark style="color:blue;">02 | Place Quilt Block into Merged Cell Block</mark>

To fill this newly merged cell block, you can either (a) use an already existing block and scale it to fit the larger merged cell block; or (b) create a new block to fit the dimensions of this new cell block.

#### <mark style="color:blue;">a | Use a Different Sized Block in Your Merged Cell Block</mark>

1. On the quilt grid, select the cell block(s) that you want to place a block into by <mark style="color:blue;">**clicking**</mark> on them. Selected blocks will be outlined in blue.&#x20;
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FuN9fYqLDg4ahB0bdrQ8Y%2F01%20selected.png?alt=media\&token=97d3ff8b-c8b4-4eee-badf-20ef66c818ae)
2. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**BLOCKS**</mark> tab on the left side control panel.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FKdK3eUEry5s6LmTAaH4g%2F02%20blocks%20tab.png?alt=media\&token=adf6c7e9-504e-43e1-b3f5-25b5e7bc9556)
3. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**three dots**</mark> (<img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FiBlYAI3sI7Cu9CDvfeQC%2F03a%20three%20dots.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4b47b39c-2c85-40b8-a8b8-8a63fc393345" alt="" data-size="line">)next to the block we want to use.
   * **ATTN:** Since we're already using the Maple Leaf block in the quilt, we need to copy the block to use in the bigger cell block.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FC0FHjlVsa1dME3wsAFK8%2F03b%20three%20dots.png?alt=media\&token=8e7e9c80-caff-4ab8-9b48-0045c7673f8a)
4. Click on <mark style="color:blue;">**Clone**</mark> to create a duplicate block. Now we have 2 Maple Leaf blocks.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FNYhT1yePWZDmgWsEqch7%2F04%20clone.png?alt=media\&token=4fdfd144-827d-4d64-b20b-492a065ed407)
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FKSM73j0iPYit4qqQBs5V%2F04b%20duplicated.png?alt=media\&token=c634c4c3-73ed-47ad-b308-1aff087e4c62)
5. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**Add To Quilt**</mark> button next to the second Maple Leaf block.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FURVqoKbdNdbpYScLLu8S%2F05%20add%20to%20quilt.png?alt=media\&token=42bcbc8e-38b7-4143-9868-38837b80688a)
6. The duplicated Maple Leaf block is now placed into the merged cell block.
   * **ATTN:** The block I'm using in this example is smaller than our larger merged cell block, so we will see a yellow warning (<img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2F6etjGRRpHwlwKHq3bZhO%2F06a%20warning.png?alt=media&#x26;token=613db153-5fac-4c19-beaa-60879b5ad190" alt="" data-size="line">) on top of our block.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2F27OAOjyJ2vGDiT3L2ROi%2F06b%20added.png?alt=media\&token=af9ddf54-d8ab-4b90-a18b-2858f26ebd4e)
7. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**yellow warning**</mark> button (<img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FrgD6JIFRXD41hWhbIAJY%2F06a%20warning.png?alt=media&#x26;token=f5ff0bc7-0d8c-4111-a0d4-078950684d8f" alt="" data-size="line">) on the block. A pop-up window will appear.
   * **Note:** The warning block includes Block information in the top portion.

     <div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2F3bmeVoqiDmudi5ItjU0u%2F07%20popup.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9d826deb-a323-45ed-9f2d-3140450b9785" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
8. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**Scale Up**</mark> button. This will change the scale of the block so that it fits your cell block.

   <div align="left"><figure><img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FbActb1v3wjQjZgmm6pTq%2F08%20scale%20up.png?alt=media&#x26;token=db167b07-8e3f-4765-b927-3e715aa0b65e" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
9. Now we have a larger Maple Leaf block in our merged cell block.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FjAscg4xhKZWFjpdqraNJ%2F09%20scaled%20up.png?alt=media\&token=d8bbe779-67d8-4713-8614-534b86e616db)
10. Now that we have our scaled up Maple Leaf block, you can <mark style="color:blue;">**select**</mark> the remaining larger merged cell blocks and <mark style="color:blue;">**add**</mark> the larger Maple Leaf block to these cells.&#x20;
    * In this example, I also rotated the blocks to form a central medallion.
    * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2F1gNOYHLW0D3TRLrM7Alr%2F10%20medallion.png?alt=media\&token=2906063e-87c0-4372-8954-bfb09c775576)

#### <mark style="color:blue;">b | Create a New Block for the Merged Cell Block</mark>&#x20;

1. On the quilt grid, select the cell block that you want to put a new block in by <mark style="color:blue;">**clicking**</mark> on it. Selected blocks will be outlined in blue.&#x20;
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FSK2MsfrNjkq6MedsFlJi%2F01%20select.png?alt=media\&token=828301e3-e27e-433d-8204-97a59dd87bff)
2. <mark style="color:blue;">**Right click**</mark> on the cell block to activate the dropdown menu.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FkEgJ2mKUpgsB0ZFsZxoI%2F02%20right%20click.png?alt=media\&token=ba1b8d4d-e756-4a9a-b629-8ec3f5831cbc)
3. Click on <mark style="color:blue;">**Create Block 12 x 12**</mark>.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FMOceUrRQI8yUo1hkn9YU%2F03%20create.png?alt=media\&token=38a3c190-9e18-4ffc-912d-6772d86b0043)
4. The Block Editor window will open. <mark style="color:blue;">**Create**</mark> your new custom 12 x 12 block.
   * See [*<mark style="color:blue;">Exercise 02 | Create a block</mark>*](https://courses.prequilt.com/old-courses/quiltcon-courses/deep-dive-into-prequilt/02-or-create-a-block) for a refresher on how to do this.
5. In this example, I created a variation of the Maple Leaf block.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FzGTfctqoxMadZwGNBXSA%2F05%20block.png?alt=media\&token=3d4ccda5-667d-4f75-b1f6-721ddea8918b)
6. Click on the <mark style="color:blue;">**Save**</mark> button (<img src="https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FNBaVCmECqE1d2kiOEHUN%2F06a%20save.png?alt=media&#x26;token=bed1c7be-0351-4d4f-9f0b-7d61cc273aa7" alt="" data-size="line">) and select <mark style="color:blue;">**Save to Quilt**</mark>.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FAcnKKK2hpfGVEEDPEAQK%2F06b%20save.png?alt=media\&token=eced450b-105a-4c58-a6c8-731fcd70d875)
7. The block will automatically be placed in our merged cell block.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FtxW39b2u6v9VWRh7ccHC%2F07%20placed.png?alt=media\&token=90021e7d-fa4b-449b-aa9c-571bec7c63e4)
8. Now that we have our larger Maple Leaf variation block, you can <mark style="color:blue;">**select**</mark> the remaining larger merged cell blocks and <mark style="color:blue;">**add**</mark> the larger Maple Leaf variation block to these cells.&#x20;
   * In this example, I also rotated the blocks to form a central medallion.
   * ![](https://2632437258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FZIxhpDEaPtVb8DXlSENh%2Fuploads%2FGqGbEUwnYIwx1oj0dcW7%2F08%20all.png?alt=media\&token=8a3c0e50-9b96-485e-ace3-a0d221a64952)
