katydidkg

If I have a specific quilt pattern in mind, I buy the required yardage. If there's a fabric sale, I buy what I like, 1 1/2 yds. - 2 yds. ... It's nice to have a stash now, fabric prices are getting way too high. Thus, I have several scrappy quilt patterns to make.

bearisgray

I don' t think it is possible to " come out even" when buying fabric without a specific pattern.

I frequently end up with "not quite enough" or " lots left over" when I buy fabric " just because."

Thumbelina

Welcome from NE Ohio.

ManiacQuilter2

Usually when I am buying fabric, it is for a specific project like a Bargello which then I get 1/4 of a yard or 3/8. If I love it and it is on sale, then I buy2 or 3 yards. Good question. Welcome to the board.

Sewnoma

That's what I was thinking! For me, "too much" is often just the right amount, especially when I either decide to change the pattern around (happens a LOT) or I cut the fabric wrong and need to re-do pieces (happens when I'm sick or up too late).

If you're using a purchased pattern it ought to have a list of how much of each fabric to buy to have the quilt finish out at X-size. Some patterns have it for several sizes, some for just one.

If I'm designing my own pattern, what I do is count up and list out how many pieces of each size and in each fabric I'm going to need, and then I figure out how many of that piece I can cut from a strip of fabric cut by the length of fabric. Then I multiply it out to figure out how long of a piece I need to buy.

So let's say my quilt is just a bunch of 4" squares; those are going to be cut at 4.5" square. Let's say I count that I need 30 of them in blue, and my blue fabric is 42" wide after I trim off the selvedges.

42 divided by 4.5 is 9.3, so that means if I cut a strip of fabric 4.5 inches wide by the width of my fabric, that will give me 9 squares per strip with a little scrap left over.

I only need 30 blocks, and if I get 9 blocks per strip, I need four strips and I'll have some blocks left over.

4 strips at 4.5 inches wide is 18 inches. That happens to be exactly 1/2 yard. BUT!! I'm a pre-washer, so after I wash my fabric, trim strings and square up the fabric it's going to be smaller - it'll probably shrink a bit too. Even if you don't pre-wash, if you square up the fabric you're going to lose some, so even though by measurements I only need 1/2 yard, I would buy more to make sure I have enough to handle any wonkiness in the fabric or any sloppy cutting at the store. I would probably go ahead and get 2/3rds yard, which would be 24 inches; that gives me lots of wiggle room.

Homespun

This made me giggle!

NJ Quilter

I only buy for projects - not for stash. For pre-purchased patterns I'll by anywhere from 1/4 to 1 yard of extra...depends on how much of that particular fabric is called for in the pattern. If I'm making up my own pattern, I usually do so in EQ and it calculates yardage for you. I think their calculations are a bit off so I just do a quick double check simply multipling out square inches/yards as a double check. But then still purchase extra to cover my own cutting errors.

tessagin

Welcome to the Board! I never buy too much, I buy as much as I can get. Any extra can always go into a future project. maybe matching pillows or one for a fur baby's bed or two.

Quiltaria

Thanks everyone. I am just concerned with a pattern I am using. it is for a minecraft quilt. The second page does not show all the colors used in the end product. If you look at it, it does not show any measurements for the brown or red colors. http://www.quilthowto.com/Minecraft-quilt.html

mike'sgirl

That's what I was thinking. Lol, blasphemy!