How do you use fat quarters?
#21
For figuring out the minimum for other sizes, look at the amount of backing fabric required and add 10-20% to allow for piecing, depending on how large/small the pattern pieces are.
The maximum FQs needed is up to you - I made a 30's repro flying geese crib quilt and used 18 different FQs. I could have made them all different, which would have required 70 different FQs. (I was using Eleanor Burns' method to make the flying geese and each pair of fabrics makes four identical blocks.)
I think I used at least 60-70 FQs in the star quilt - probably more, but I won't try to count them.
I really love the scrappy look, and I actually used very little of most of the medium & dark FQs - more of the FQs from the lighter ones. But, you could use a controlled color scheme and use far fewer colors - just using a single background color would eliminate about 20-30 FQs. Use the same color for the star points and eliminate 10-15 FQs.
#22
I just watched a video of an interview/quilt showing with Edyta Sitar yesterday. She used to have big HST swaps and ended up with a lot of HSTs in fabrics which she didn't like. So, she turned pairs of them into QSTs and the resulting quilt turned into one of her favorites.
Someone says, "If a fabric is still ugly to you, you haven't cut it small enough." (Bonnie Hunter, maybe?)
I used to buy FQ mystery bundles and the ones which I thought were ugly ended up being perfect for something... sometimes fussy cutting, just to get a particular color.
#23
thepolyparrot, I love your two quilts here, but I do not like making flying geese. - (give me those curves-lol-) What size is your star quilt? I just love it and wouldn't mind making one of these for QOV, but not with my FQs.
#24
You are a total whiz kid when it comes to curves, that's for sure! 😄
Those QIAD rulers make you a whiz with flying geese, though - I love them!
The star quilt is 103" square and I quilted it on my 1947 Singer 15-91. I believe I used the Tri-Recs template set to make the star points. If you want me to make you up a QOV project file, just let me know what size you'd like.
Those QIAD rulers make you a whiz with flying geese, though - I love them!
The star quilt is 103" square and I quilted it on my 1947 Singer 15-91. I believe I used the Tri-Recs template set to make the star points. If you want me to make you up a QOV project file, just let me know what size you'd like.
#25
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Davenport, Iowa
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Thepolyparrot....I LOVE your star quilt. Would love to make one for myself in shades of green, mustard, red, and navy for my bed. I take the time for Project Linus quilts and quilts for the entire family, but never take time to make one for me. Maybe someday.
#26
Thank you. This is the block in case you want to make it - it's 12" finished and the patches are 3" finished. The 9-patch and plain squares are sashing, but I sewed them to the stars to make assembly easier. The left column didn't get sashing on the left of the stars and the bottom row didn't get sashing below the stars.
With the colors you like, it sounds like Kansas Troubles by Moda. I recently finished a KT log cabin top for us - it's the first one I've made specifically for us.
With the colors you like, it sounds like Kansas Troubles by Moda. I recently finished a KT log cabin top for us - it's the first one I've made specifically for us.
#28