Sun Bonnet Sue each month of the year...wallhangings. No stash so....
 

Since I am a fairly new quilter...have sewn though forever but got rid of all extra fabric. So...I ordered this book from amazon (and 2 other books) and they came yesterday. I was so excited but after looking through the book at each month's project I thought...how the heck am I going to make all of these since I don't have anywhere near enough stash. For example...one month shows Sue at the beach so the square background fabric has to look like sand. Then she is wearing a sandle so her exposed foot is a darker tan. Dresses are one piece of fabric but then trim and a pocket of another fabric. Borders and blocks are different colors and then some of them have different small flowers. I could go on and on...but I think you can "get" what I mean. So much different fabric for one small wallhanging. So...off to Joann's today to get other supplies and fabric for a table runner. I kept looking at all of the fat quarters but didn't buy any today. Just wondering if you think that would be the way to go...at $1.99 each. I would hate to think about taking like 15 bolts of fabric to the cutting counter and saying that I want 1/4 yd. of each. They would be cursing me under their breath...lol.

Did get a deal on muslin...$1.99 a yard so I bought all that was on the bolt...almost 9 yds.

Off now to try to finish the binding on my patriotic quilt as a tribute to my deceased father who was a WWII vet and fought in all major battles against Germany. I'm going to attach his ribbons and medals to it and then once I attach the hanger on the back I am going to hang it on the inside of our front door using a wreath hanger. Then I will hang his dog tags over the hanger. (I sure used the word hang and hanger a lot...lol)

I know its a lot of trouble to get a lot of fabric cut, but it will be worth it. You get more for your money from the bolt than from a fat quarter. I have seen people in JoAnn's with carts full of cotton fabric bolts. Just have fun with it.

P.S. Your patriotic wall hanging sounds wonderful. Would love to see a picture of it.

Perhaps you could put a post in the Searching For thread? Say you're looking for scraps and give the largest piece you want. There are good prices there.

If you aren't in a big hurry, Joann will put the FQ's on sale for $1 eventually. That's when I buy them. $1.99 is $8 a yard and most of them aren't worth $8. You could also check out charm packs and layer cakes online to get more variety.

JoAnn's has FQ's for $1.29 right now...that's the lowest that I've seen them since the overall price increases.

Some quilt shops have plastic bags of scraps for sale. Keep looking!!!

My guild has a cast off table, where people bring in fabric in scraps or even yardage, blocks or UFO's that they do not want anymore. I have gotten a lot of fabric for free from this table over the years.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I do agree that the fat quarters are expensive since a lot of the quilting fabric was on sale today and would have been cheaper to have 1/4 yard cut. I'll check some of the online sites for charm packs and layer cakes. Joann's doesn't have much choice in that department...at least the one that I went to. I don't know of any local quilt guilds...but I haven't "dug deep" to check it out. There are a couple of quilt shops that I haven't even checked out yet...probably in the spring when I know the weather will cooperate.

That's funny...all of the fat quarters are lined up between the top couple of shelves and bottom shelves of fabric at the Joann's I went to and no sale signs.

Oh...I was looking for a pair of magnifier glasses that you can clip to your regular glasses. Bought a pair there last year and I dropped them and they broke. I asked the lady at the cutting table and she said they did away with ALL magnifiers but had just a few in the bargain bins out front. Of course they were the ones with a handle that you hold to read. I can't believe it because a lot of older woman sew and have problems threading needles etc.

I have one side yet to sew the binding and then attach the sleeve. Hope to finish tomorrow and will see how well a picture looks with my computer camera. The digital...I don't have a clue how to use it since I bought if for my husband for Christmas about 7 years ago and he puts it somewhere and then can't remember where it is. lol

You can do so many things with Sue.

I love playing with Sue. Happy times ahead for you. Start slow, purchase a few yards that you like and eventually you'll have enough to place in different areas of Sue's blocks that the repetition won't seem as noticable.

Buy off the bolt! It is cheeper. and the girls will not be upset with you, that is why they are there! They will probly ask what your making and ask you to bring it in to show them when it's done. I have to travel 2 1/2 hr to reach my "LOCAL" Joanns, they know that when I walk through the door I will leave with a cart full. I am never in a hurry when I'm in a fabric shop so if I have a cart full of bolts and someone behind me only has one or two bolts I send them ahead, I'm not in a rush and usually don't have small children with me.

I was going to say Fat Quarters were invented just for this purpose!!! Prior to FQs, I used to buy 1/4 yd pieces. I would have 10-15 bolts in my cart and yes, I would get the death stare from the cutting staff AND the other people waiting in line but if you are stash building, these cuts are just perfect. Especially if you are doing small projects or scrappy anything.

Don't know about the other employees, but I used to love cutting fabric. My favorite assignment was the cutting table. I would look forward to cutting big orders, especially quilting fabrics. I also enjoyed chatting with the customers and asking what they were making, and dreaming about what I would make with the different fabrics as I put the bolts away. Call me crazy, but I miss that job. :o

That is my dream job!!!!!!!

Have fun with Sue, it will be so worth it. If you have a sewing buddy, she will help you with fabric because alot of times you don't need much. Wish we lived closer I would give you some scraps of mine. Your patriotic quilt sounds wonderful, you put a lot of thought into it. You'll have to post a picture.

I was never upset to cut small amounts off the bolts....well, it would be a pain if they had a cart of 20 or so and wanted 1/4 yard each and it was 4 minutes until we closed.... I loved talking to the customers about projects. Have a wonderful time! :)

that`s what i do when i buy fabric...have them cut 1/4 yrd....the lady at the fabric store told me that`s what thy were there for, and she said time goes faster....she seemed to enjoy it...but not sure thy are all like that....i always go to her...lol

this is too true and I was on my way to tell you the same thing... quilt shops are very used to doing this... they will not mind... but if you want other ways...
http://www.countrychurchcrafts.com/c...erfabrics2.htm 75 cents each + cheap shipping
http://www.sewmamasew.com/ccp0-catsh...TQUARTERS.html 6 pack collections=15.75= $7.75/yd
http://www.connectingthreads.com/kit...rs__D4655.html this one looked good, $55 for 35 FQ... but they pick them

anyway...just look at these, and google for 'Fat Quarter'......tons of sale stuff came up... but if I was you, I would look for the current Joann's coupon... and plan on going on Feb 5.... superbowl sunday is always a big sale there ... usually open early.... between sale and coupon, you ought to be able to get some cute stuff... and remember, you don't have to buy it all at once... and if it was me (again...i would get a 1/4 yd of fabric... and not put different backgrounds... but youu will have to decide...this way you just get more fabric left over for your stash.

I just had an e-mail from Joanns for a 20% your entire purchase which incudes sale and regular priced items for this Sat (1/28) only. Another thing I might try is www.quiltshops.com as is a huge search engine and many of the sites on here have lots of end of the year sales going on and I see add on here for a big Super Bowl Sale. I also live in a rural community and its 120 to the nearest bigger city with a fabric store so our local second hand store you can find many good deals with fabric and some clothing items offer good fabric to use for quilting items such as a wall hanging.

I too would buy off the bolt!! It would be a shame not to!!! Most of the sales people I have run into dont mind cutting - I say if you go to JoAnns with 20% off entire purchase you may even go for 1/2 yard cuts - that way you have a stash lol Also be sure to look here - alot of times people will sell their "scraps" or you could post under the "In search of" section. You can usually get things rather reasonably here and save standing in lines lol Would love to see your dad's quilt and the sunbonet once its completed!!

Also, be aware that quite often the packaged fat quarters at Joann's are not truly "quarters". I've learned by personal experience that they quite often will be 17"x21" instead of the 18"x22" that a true fat quarter should be. I had purchased a pack of five for a specific project, then had to go back and purchase another pack because every single piece fell short of the true fat quarter measurements and I wasn't able to fudge on my pattern with the smaller pieces. I ended up having to piece the fabrics together to get the correct size. And, of course, Joann's got that extra money from me for the second pack that I really shouldn't have needed to buy. Just a warning.

The SunBonnet Sue quilt sounds really cute. I had a SBS quilt when I was a child, made by my grandmother. As to building a stash. I always buy more fabric than I need, whatever I am making. I have built my stash quickly. I get a lot of my fat quarters at Wal Mart. They have a nice selection (not great, but nice) and you can get them for 99 cents quite often. Look on the "sale" counters for the 1 and 2 dollar a yard fabric too. Just be sure to check it good. Some of the fabric is not worth even a dollar. Other pieces are worth a lot more. They have a lot of ugly fabric there, but occasionally I get lucky and find some good stuff. Hobby Lobby has some very nice fabric too. Most start at about $6 a yard and then their fabric is always 30% off the price marked. So you can get some good prices.
Sorry to ramble so, but I just wanted to let you know. As for asking them to cut 1/4 yard off of 20 different bolts. When I worked at Hancocks, I loved doing that (if we weren't too busy). I was always curious about what the ladies were making. Have fun!

I just finished the Sue for Feb. and I didn't follow the pattern exactly. You can use 2 different colored pinks for the skin and make the boarders all the same. I have fun just doing my own thing with them as using the gioven pattern design as a model. For the March on I'm using shamrocks instead of basketballs-not a fan. I like the book and have made 3 of them doing my own thing. The biggest piece of fabric you need is for the dress so any scrap that fits works. Have fun with it-I'll be using something else instead of sailboats and the cutters for june. No quilt police will be looking so do it howevewr you want.

Don't worry about making quarter yard cuts....a cut is a cut, whether it is a quarter yard or ten yards. The work is the same and the pay is the same. However fat quarters may be a better way to go. You have "fatter" piece of fabric and I think for your quilt it might be more usable. It would be awful if you could not get a whole appliqué piece on the quilt. If it is good fabric you then $1.99 is not a bad price and if it crap fabric...well you don't want it. You might try exchanging scraps with friends to get small bits that you need.

My mother and I made a Sue and used fabric from clothing out of our own closets or from garage sales. It's amazing what you can come up with.

www.nancysnotions.com has a lot of fat quarter collections at a reasonable price.

I have brought fat quarters from JoAnn before and if you wait for a sale they are $1.29 each and before buying check the material as there are lots of thin fat quarters which you do not want. I think I would buy the 1\8 or1/4 yd depending on the amount of fabric you need, when they have the calico's on sale because their regular prices run $4.99 up to $12 yd. Hope you signed up for their flyers. Good luck.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it or not, but don't forget to check the remnant bin at JoAnn's! Remnants are half off and that's half off whatever the current price on the fabric is. If the fabric is regular $9.99 and is on sale for 30% off, the remnant would be $3.49/yd instead of $6.99/yard! Well worth a check if you're in there anyway!

I love to make quilts from old scraps, when I am running low on good scraps I often go to some local thrift stores and purchase articles of clothing. I have found good quality material in some of the more expensive clothes that are offered for less than $3 per item. I cut off the buttons and take out the zippers to use for other craft projects, then cut away on making whatever pieces of I need for my current projects. I like using this material because it is already shrunk, usually doesn't "bleed" and the gently worn look is often just what I am looking for. One other tip I will pass along, when you are cutting up old jeans to use for projects I cut close to all the seams to make some really strong "strings/ropes" for other projects. They are very handy in the garden to tie up plants without stressing them. I have found multiple uses for these jean-ropes. Even my kids know to come to momma for some jean-ropes for their projects.

I live in a remote part of Wyoming, so shopping for fabric at Joanns or Hancock's is often not an option. So when I visit my daughter in Saint Joseph, Missouri I stock up on lots of fabric. However, there are lots of used clothing stores near my home so I use old clothes to get my scraps for my quilts. I have also used old wedding dresses to have a stash of quality satin, lace, brocade, etc. So many ways to have stashes of material and or scraps. Going to a fabric store is an adventure I always savor and enjoy. Never rush through the store....just take your time....visualize your end results....you will be inspired while there and look forward to your next great adventure.

My 20% email from Joanns was from now until Saturday. I used mine yesterday

I agree with an earlier poster, fat quarters, charms, and layer cakes even jelly rolls will get you the variety you need to work with these patterns. Dont overlook thrift shops as sources of fabrics or even clothing that can be cut up. I worked on a log cabin for my son for Christmas and used denim as well as a couple of his old shirts that were primarily blue plaids and checks to round out my blocks. Have fun and don't stress!:)

Another hint: Keep an eye on the remnants at Joann's as they are half price. I always check them out and will buy them if I can afford it, just to have options in bigger scraps.

Sunbonnet sue is fun to make. There are so many versions, there is one that is called the Demise of Sunbonne Sue, you can probably google it. It's a little scary :P-)

Sue is a fun quilt to make. Have fun and do post for scraps - lots of us have pieces we don't have any other use for and will be happy to share with you. Be sure to post the pictures of your progress.

Don't worry about asking JoAnn's fabric cutters for 1/4 yd of fabric from a lot of bolts. I do it all the time and enjoy discussing what the customer is making. Not only do I get to know our customers, but I get quilting tips and ideas.

I'd cut off the bolt,too. Sometimes you need the shape of a fat quarter to get the size of pieces the patterns call for, so I get 1/3 yd and that usually gives enough extra if a pattern calls for fat quarters. It does cost money and I try to be frugal if I can, but it's not easy!!

I once apologized to the clerk for bringing her a cartfull of bolts to cut quarter and half yards from. She told me not to worry, she didn't mind at all. She said it's all the same for her if she cuts 15 bolts for one person or 1 bolt for 15 people. Then she said, "I'm going to be here cutting no matter what!" and laughed. She was very nice.

You will love making a Sunbonnet Sue quilt. The patriotic one you made sounds outstanding. Please post a photograph of it when you finish. It is a great idea.

Word of warning about the muslin! I made the foolish mistake of making a whole quilt top using the muslin I had on hand. But then I got to wondering where I got it and whether it was a "cheapie" of not. So I washed and dried some of the leftover fabric. ARGGGHH. The square came out more than half an inch smaller than when I started and had wrinkles that wouldn't come out. I'm having to take apart and remake the whole top using better muslin. So be sure to wash and dry whatever muslin you have. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it turns out to be just fine.