Does the fabric width listed on the bolt include the salvage? :oops:

Also, if I used math to figure out how many square yards I need, how can I turn that into a figure for total yards off a bolt?

Thanks for all the help so far, I am really enjoying reading here! :mrgreen:

I think yardage on the bolt varies, I have found them anywhere from 10 - 15 yards.
JulieM

Yes, it includes the selvedges :D:D:D

I usually assume 40" of usable width, after trimming the selvedges, just to be safe.

me too, plus the math is usually easier LOL

Maybe these will help you out.

http://www.blockcentral.com/calc-squares.shtml

http://www.quiltshops.com/calculator/calculator.htm

IF YOU DO BUY a full bolt of fabric....I don't care if the end of the bolt says there is 10 yards or 100 yards even if it is silophane wrapped, MAKE THEM MEASURE IT. Don't go by what the bolt says. I couldn't tell you how many bolts of fabric my mother and I have bought brand new bolts of fabric to find that they were a yard or so short.

I do believe the fabric width listed does include the salvage...I always take 2 inches off when I'm figuring...I'm saving selvages for a selvage quilt so I do cut them 1" from the edge.

I would just figure that a yard of fabric gives me a square yard with a little left over for oops or stash. Otherwise, to be precise I would convert to square inches, then back to square yards. It's a PITA and so that's why I have my LQS owner do all the math for me!!!

If you figure that a running yard of fabric is actually 40" x 36" (assuming a 40" width) then you would multiply 1.111 x running yards to get the square yards. However, square yards is not a very useful measurement, since yardage for a pattern is always given in running yards (sometimes stating whether 44/45 width is assumed), and anyway 1.111 is pretty close to 1. And depending on what size blocks you're cutting, you can't count on using up all 40 inches of the width. If your patches are large, you need to take that into account when you figure yardage. For instance, if your patch size is 9", you can only count on getting 4 patches in a 9"x44" strip of fabric, leaving a piece that's 9"x8".

BTW, a pet peeve of mine, I shouldn't really mention, but I'm feeling evil today - it's "selvage", or "selvedge" (British version), not "salvage". I've heard even quilt store owners call it salvage, but that's the act of saving a ship or its cargo, or a term referring to the remaining value of a car after it's been wrecked. Selvage means "self edge", the self-finished edges of fabric. Ok, off my soap box. Hope I didn't offend anyone.

Wow. What a good idea. Now if only I could find a way to need to buy so much material at once.

That would mean my stash would be almost nonexistent and I came into a winning lottery ticket or inherited some $.

That and figuring only 40" width of fabric as usable sounds about right.

ali