Is it better to buy from yardage or FQ in this case?? (btw the mlb fabric they are selling is new/unwashed)
There is very little waste in the FQ, so it doesn't make too much difference, if you are using the 8" finished block size. If she says 4 FQ = 1 yard, make sure that if you need less than a yard you know what you are getting (ie, 24" may not be a quantity she'd sell as yardage)
If I'm using 5 prints (Team print, 2 plain colors, baseballs print, mitts print) and if I need 18 FQ's ... this is not divisable by 5 how do I know how many of each to get? Do I just get more of 1 of them? If so I'd like to do the team one.
Exactly. Pick one you like, and buy more of it. 18 FQs - so you buy 3 of each, and then pick 3 more FQ - any of the patterns. Could be 3 different ones, or 3 of the same. You may want to sketch it out to see what looks better. 6 FQ of the team is nice, but you'll end up with a majority of that print. If you like the look, go for it. Splitting it more evenly across all prints would create a more random layout probably.
I'd honestly just rather buy the FQ online of the mlb print itself and then yardage of the other to make it easier (assuming that is easier?) yet I still don't know how much of the other 4 to get in yardage?
Let's see. If you buy 4 FQ of the MLB print, then you still need the equivalent of 14 FQ, or 131" of fabric split across your other prints. (I see I made an oops above. You get 4 blocks from each 9" strip of fabric, same number as you get from a FQ).
Maybe this is easier: you need 18 "pieces" A "piece" is either a FQ, or a piece of yardage 9" in length. Split that up however you like between your fabrics. Let's say, for example, 4 pieces of the MLB, 4 pieces of each of 2 others, and 3 pieces of the final 2. Then you need 4 FQ of the MLB, 1 yard each of 2 fabrics (9"x4= 36"=1yard) and 3/4 yard each of the last 2 fabrics. If you add another fabric, you can adjust the numbers as you like, just so you end up with the same total.
Also is it ok to use flannel in the middle? A friend was saying to get flannel for the inside batting and the back too. So do I need batting and flannel? If so how much? I've left her a message but haven't heard from her yet. My husband doesnt like flannel too much so if I can use cotton on the back I think he'd like that better. If not I can use flannel.
It depends how warm you want it. cotton-flannel-cotton (top and bottom cotton, and using flannel for the batting) would work fine. It won't be a super warm quilt, because I don't think flannel is that warm. Earlier you said fleece - which in my mind is different from flannel. I'm picturing polar fleece - fuzzy, warm, doesn't ravel. Would make a warm quilt, but I don't know how well it would "rag" for this pattern. I have used fleece in place of batting in the past - I found it a bit stiffer than I expected, but it wasn't very good quality fleece that I used.
Just to add some more confusion
If the fabric is really 56" wide (that is wider than most quilting cottons), then you get more squares from a yard of the MLB than you would from the 4 FQs, and it may be worth buying the extra there. But you'd want to be sure that measurement is correct. 56" would get you 6 blocks per 9" strip. So a yard of the MLB would be 24 blocks, and you'd only need another 48 blocks (12 from each of 4 fabrics.) That 3/4 yard of each, or 3 FQ of each.
Editted to add:
Just saw your question about backing & batting. You have a 64x72" quilt, so you need 140" of whatever fabric you use for backing (you'll cut it in half and piece it to form the back). And you need a quilt batt at least 70x80" - or another 140" of flannel to piece for the batting if you go that way.