Originally Posted by Edie
I just got to thinking here while I was cutting out fabric for a new quilt - a sampler. When you cut your squares and get it down to 1/8" here and 1/4" there and 1/2" someplace else, after all is said and done, how much fabric does one waste when making a quilt. Suppose you are making a quilt, say 96x124, how much of that is actual waste - I bought four yards of one fabric, four yards of another fabric and three yards of a third fabric. How much of that am I allowed to waste - throw out - less than 1 inch, some pieces being 26/28" long. This is one of the things in quilting I absolutely do not like to think about. But I just got to thinking - Am I going to have enough material? I am making a sampler with three colors only. Every block design has only the three colors. This is not counting the sashing, or border or backing - I always pick that out after all the blocks are made (on this one, there will be 48 - 12" blocks.
My brain doesn't want to work this morning - It is probably turkey stuffed yet.
Thanks for any info you can give me. I would hate to think I was wasting money here at $9.00 a yard Clara Barton Birthplace Museum - Windham fabric. Edie
Hi Edie - I know exactly want you mean. When I first started quilting I was nervous about having enough fabric and would always add on an extra yard of each fabric. Now if it's a complicated pattern where there's bound to be a mistake I still buy a yard more. But with patterns I'm comfortable with I still buy extra to give me the option to go bigger or make the presentation bag. Therefore I have a huge stash and a scrap bag which is being dealt with by leaders and enders. I love the idea of making a quilt without thinking about it until there's a pile of blocks ready for a decision. All the best with your quilt.