Was I wrong ~ or ~ was she
05-02-2014, 04:27 AM
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,018
next time you need to purchase binding fabric- first find how long of a binding you need- (your current project of 41x61=)
41+41+61+61= 204", I generally add about 10" for joining ends & mitering corners- so now you are at 214" needed
divide that total by 40" (figuring cutting off the salvages- that's an average length) you need 5 1/2 strips (figure 6)
6 strips x your 2 1/2" width comes to 15" (so, a 1/2 yard would have been enough)
any other size- figure it the same way- the two measurements x 2 (for all 4 sides to bind) plus excess for joins, corners- figure the number of strips needed-based on the usable width of the fabric- then multiply the number of strips by the width of the strips to see how many inches of fabric you need.
I have found most Joanne's employees know very little about the products the store sells- are seldom sewer's or crafters- most of them at our local are college students who needed a 'retail' job. any retail would work.
41+41+61+61= 204", I generally add about 10" for joining ends & mitering corners- so now you are at 214" needed
divide that total by 40" (figuring cutting off the salvages- that's an average length) you need 5 1/2 strips (figure 6)
6 strips x your 2 1/2" width comes to 15" (so, a 1/2 yard would have been enough)
any other size- figure it the same way- the two measurements x 2 (for all 4 sides to bind) plus excess for joins, corners- figure the number of strips needed-based on the usable width of the fabric- then multiply the number of strips by the width of the strips to see how many inches of fabric you need.
I have found most Joanne's employees know very little about the products the store sells- are seldom sewer's or crafters- most of them at our local are college students who needed a 'retail' job. any retail would work.
See how those word problems in our long ago math classes now finally can be realized and utilized!
05-02-2014, 04:32 AM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Vermont, USA
Posts: 1,346
If you have a cell phone or iPod, be sure to download this free app. I use it all the time to figure what I need for bindings and borders and other things. I've shown it to people at JoAnns and other shops, too. Just love this easy little app!
http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting-calculators/
http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting-calculators/
05-02-2014, 05:01 AM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
I like to cut borders LOF and I will often just slice up the rest of the fabric into 2-1/2 strips to be used later for binding, narrow borders, or cut down smaller for sashing, etc. I love my super long binding pieces!
I also save trimmings from quilt backings and cut those into long strips of 2-1/2 wide, for the same purpose. I always have all kinds of binding fabric pre-cut to choose from, much of it in very long strips. I do a lot of scrappy quilts so it's fine with me if the binding fabric is not anywhere else in the quilt.
I also save trimmings from quilt backings and cut those into long strips of 2-1/2 wide, for the same purpose. I always have all kinds of binding fabric pre-cut to choose from, much of it in very long strips. I do a lot of scrappy quilts so it's fine with me if the binding fabric is not anywhere else in the quilt.
05-02-2014, 05:02 AM
#37
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Keller, TX
Posts: 1,927
NEVER RELY ON JOANN FABRIC CUTTERS. I COULD WRITE A BOOK. I don't buy much quilting fabric from them. However, I was purchasing a panel for the center of a baby quilt, and the Joann's employee started to cut straight across without opening up the panel to cut on the panel line. I told her to stop! She said she had to cut at the one yard mark, and that was that. I said if you continue, I will not purchase the panel....the fabric was wound on the bolt crooked and cutting it straight would take off about 8 inches inside the panel, totally ruining it for any use. She argued with me until I demanded to speak to the manager. She said the manager trained her and told her to cut exactly on the yard mark and not a smidgeon more. I was shocked at the no common sense of this young lady when I showed her what would happen if she cut it her way....."that's the way I was told to cut". I finally got the manager to the table and the employee learned how to cut a panel. I left wondering how someone could not comprehend the logic. The employee was a college student!!?? An OMG moment.
05-02-2014, 05:31 AM
#39
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
I have only met one person at the JA near me that knows anything about sewing anything. The customers usually tell them what to do.
05-02-2014, 05:36 AM
#40
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
I worked for House of Fabrics during the big sales back in the 90s. I did it because I LOVED the 25% employee discount. They gave me NO training as to how to calculate anything for sewing so I just tried my best to hum a few bars and fake it. Women would come up asking me how much she needed for a wedding veil or how much for a sleeveless blouse. I would suggest they find a specific pattern. These stores don't give you any training at least in my day. They might have videos now a day.
You really only needed 15" so a half a yard is the right amount to get. I use to rip the binding along with the length of my border (2.5 yards) for my avatar quilt or any other Queen size quilt. Never had a problem. When you are working for someone on a custom quilt, you want to do it RIGHT and as quickly as possible.
You really only needed 15" so a half a yard is the right amount to get. I use to rip the binding along with the length of my border (2.5 yards) for my avatar quilt or any other Queen size quilt. Never had a problem. When you are working for someone on a custom quilt, you want to do it RIGHT and as quickly as possible.
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