One wise quilter said that you will need about 6" more than you purchased. Happened to me on my last quilt made from my stash. I had to change the width of my boarders and piece them. Quilt turned out fine.

I found a chart at: accucutquilters - Yahoo Groups, that has "How Many Pieces From One Yard", and for backing I found a chart at: "Quiltville Custom Quilting" (http://www.quiltville.com) for "Backing Yardage Requirements". Hope this helps.

I started out buying fabric just because I like it. Now I pick a pattern and plan it out. Except - I wait till the top main piece is done, take it to my LQS and pick borders and then decide on binding.
Diane/Wyoming

I also had that problem in the beginning. My first quilt (queen size) involved three trips to replenish my major fabric. That really affected how I then bought fabric. I started buying BOLTS of fabric. Then I discovered scrap quilting and no longer need vaste amounts of fabric. Periodically I go through every bolt (200+) and wack a yard from each...press and then cut them into usable shapes per Bonnie Hunter's Scrap USER System. (www.quiltville.com)
Now that I make mostly scrap quilts the amount of fabric I use/buy is minimal. Since it is scrappy, I can use anything I wish and no one will know I ever ran out of fabric. And it is also easy to do a controlled scrappy..you know...just one color but many shades of that color.
XOXOXO Subee
http://www.subeesews.blogspot.com

I make a graph and figure how many squares I can get out of a width of fabric one yard long. Divide 36 inches by the size square you plan to make, for instance, there are 4-9 inch squares in a yard, multiply 4 from the width would give you 16 9 inch squares, your pattern says how many you need so divide that amount by 16 and you know how many yards to buy but get an extra yard or half a yard for insurance. And you will have fabric for binding or sashing left over.

I draw it all out on scrap or graph paper to estimate if the pattern doesn't tell you how much to buy.

Carol J.

Eek! Too much math for me today!!

Eek! Too much math for me today!!

That is cool. Bookmarked it as I'll probably use it often.

Thank you for a good answer to the question!!!

I am just now starting to quilt, have actually made three whole blocks!!! Snowball blocks that I saw a 12 yr old make on You Tube. WooHoo, but at least it is a start. But with JoAnn's 50% off coupon I have been buying by the bolt. They are usually not full bolts but they never cost me more then $12-$14. I will either have a lot off nice quilts, etc. or a REALLY big stash for my family to give away when I die.

Ditto!

If I find a really nice fabric that I cannot live without, I buy 4 yards. I'll find something to do with it later. LOL

I would need a calculator for most projects and that doesn't mean I get enough or too much every time.

I don't know either because I am in the same boat as you, can't tell you how many times I have had to go back to purchase more material and low and behold - IT'S GONE.
I guess I should buy more than what I think I need but sometimes I think I already did - up a creek on this one.

I found in my book "Complete Guide to Quilting" by Better Homes and Gardens a few charts that list the amount of fabric needed for x amount of squares, rectangles etc. This book has helped me a great deal with many problems I stumble across as a new quilter.

I an another one who picks that picks my projest form the fabrics I have. I did not buy most of my fabrics for quilts. I have made all sorts of items to sell as a vendor. Because of the economy have have cut back on my shows and I am quilting again and having tons of fun.

I never have a project in mind, when I'm buying fabric so I've been getting 2 yards at a time. Now that I'm getting into the full size quilts I think I need to buys 3-4 yards at a time. Anything left over I figure I could make some baby quilts

Ya, that's my problem too. I just buy alot of what I like and I usually have alot left over. :) I never run out and never have to use patterns. It's a win-win for me.

I usually take what the pattern suggests and add a half to whole yard to it. Then I have left overs to do scrapy with and don't run short on my projects.

22 yards of each will do nicely!!! Yup...twenty-two...never have to worry about running out!!! LOL

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :lol: :mrgreen: :lol:

The pattern should tell you, otherwise it's math 101.

Seems like when I use fabric that I already have I'm short in end and have to compromise or I feel obgligated to use fabrics from my stash when I'd really rather buy fabrics for the pattern I want to make. I've decided to stop the random fabric purchases and stash only left overs that I use for scrap quilts.

I usually add at least an extra 1/2 yard to what is required in a pattern. or ask for help at you LQS

I generally try to figure out how much yardage you will need for the back - say 6 yards. Then estimate the % of each color, or if they are evenly divided. so if you have 25%, 25% and 50%, you can guesstimate the color divide as 1 1/2 yds of 2 colors and 3 of another. Then I add another yard to be safe. Or as much more as you want. Generally comes up OK.

I thought I had bought enough material and when I found out I needed more, the store was out of one color. Had to buy a darker color. Will use it for the outside blocks. I tried to figure out how much I needed but guess my calculations were a TAD off. It will be fine. Just glad the store had the other colors.
Rita

I make lots of scrap quilts, seldom make quilts with less than 10 fabrics.

I may really go overboard with figuring out the details, but I use graph paper, draw a the layout of the quilt I'm making, determine the number of blocks, width of borders, etc. and how many different colors. Then I use the graph paper to lay out the best way to cut the fabrics based on a 40-42 inch width of fabric and then keep laying out until I have the number of pieces I need from each different fabric and see what yardage length I've used. Then I add at least enough fabric to get another row of pieces (plus a few extra inches) in case I make mistakes. I do this with each color. I also do this for the borders and binding. And don't forget the backing.

I sometimes end up with extra fabric, but it goes into the stash for scrappies.

You took the words right out of my iphone! I am making more and more scrappy quilts, just decide on a color combo and start cutting!!!

Me too!!! Extra is always best!

This is even better! Especially if it is your favorite or most common fabric you use.

I had a 50% coupon and bought 10 yards of my favorite fabric which i use on most of my backs. Now I don't have to shop for it for a good long while.

This is even better! Especially if it is your favorite or most common fabric you use.

I had a 50% coupon and bought 10 yards of my favorite fabric which i use on most of my backs. Now I don't have to shop for it for a good long while.

you can buy a fabric calculator? Have you seen one at Hancocks? I should ask. I hate math. wow what a concept.

lol, am I a baby, I have to have a pattern and follow to the T. hoping for the best. lol :)

I use EQ to do all my quilts and it tells me each fabric requirement, even says how many patches of each fabric. I have found that it over-estimates so if I actually do what it says, I have more than enough.

I really wish that EQ had the ability to estimate based on fat quarters. You can only select the standard fabric widths.

I just did a sampler quilt design so I added up ALL of the yardage and compared it to 4 FQs equaling a yard to find out how many FQs it needed.