Quiltingboard Forums - View Single Post - I'll never buy FQs again.

12-22-2012, 12:52 PM

#6

HouseDragon

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: Kaua`i

Posts: 616

I've ironed over 80 FQs in the last two days plus some yardage.

When is a FQ not a FQ?

Traditionally a FQ has been 18" x 22". A yard is still 36" but these days quilt fabric widths vary from 44" wide to 40" wide (and who knows what the future will bring ~ anyone remember the bad old days of 36" wide?).

The stack on my table varies from over 22" (the person who got the other "half" was cheated) to less than 19" wide (hmmmm ... I'm the other person who got cheated with these, I guess).

Then there's the yardage.

I bought half yards to have enough Black on White yardage for Bonnie Hunter's EASY STREET. Well, that was the plan anyway.

Names of shops are left out to protect the guilty.

Five of the half yards were cut nice and straight and were still nice and straight after pinking-washing-pressing.

They were also on sale and at least two of the pieces were cut quite generously. Mahalo: you know who you are!

The other four half yards from a different shop were cut catawompus and were even worse after pinking-washing-pressing. I've had that problem from that shop before and I usually stand there watching like a hawk and point out fabric coming off the bolt that's obviously seriously misaligned. This time I was still searching for more Black on White fabric instead of watching.

Three to five inches off on either side after straightening the fabric just isn't acceptable. I can't afford to lose that much fabric that I've paid for. I'm saddened that the cutter didn't take the time to make sure I was getting what I was paying for.

It's bad enough to get wonky or undersized FQs or yardage at a quilt show or big box store but our LQS should be more attentive to their customers!

JMNOHO!

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