I'm in the process of figuring how much fabric I need for the Take 5 pattern that I'm going to start. I find the following paragraph somewhat confusing:

Choose 5 different fabrics. After you've chosen 5, cut 5/8 yd of each. Step back and decide which 2 are your favorite. One of those 2 is your inner board and the second is the outer border. From the fabric chosen for the inner border cut an additional 1/2 yd. From the fabric chosen for the outer border cut an additional 1 1/4 yd.

I need help. Do I really need to have them cut 5/8 yds of the two borders? Can't I just add the original 5/8 for the two borders to the additional 1/2 yd and 1 1/4 required? If so, help me add!! :roll: I'm so fraction challenged. lol

I'm not sure why the directions have you cut your fabric this way but here are the totals needed.

Inner border 5/8 + 1/2 = 1 1/8 yard

Outer border 5/8 + 1 1/4 = 1 7/8 yard

Hope this helps

I would convert the 5/8 and rest to inches and then divide by 36" to get the total yardage. For example 1/8 is 4.5" times 5 is 22.5" then add 1/2 yd to that which is 18" for a total of 40.5" or 1 yd 13" etc.

And yes, you can do the total and not have to cut the 5/8 first. However, read the instructions. There may be a reason to cut in 5/8 yds for ease of cutting the sub units. It might make it easier to cut in multiple layers.

You could have a big piece, but it is nice to keep the border fabric seperate. They also tell you to stack your 5/8 yard cuts so you can cut them all at once with the rotary cutter. I've made this quilt many times. If you have any more trouble just pm me. Good luck.

5/8 + 1/2 yd = 1 1/8 yd, 5/8 + 1 1/4 yd + 1 7/8 yd. Hope this helps.

Ding, ding, ding...Cherylynne, you're right!! I am trying to figure out the directions yet, but it says to lay out all 5 pieces of the 5/8 yd fabric. (can the fabric store cut out 5/8?) It says to cut them together, all at once. I'll be the borders are seperate so you can cut them differently. Right?

Is there a free pattern for this somewhere? It's so pretty!

If there is I could never find it. I traded it with someone on our boards.

Yeah, that's what I figured... and no luck finding a blog to explain it. Someone without the pattern figured out the Turning Twenty, since she said it shouldn't be that hard (which it isn't), so I was hoping I might find Take 5 too. Oh well, to the drawing board to figure it out m'self!

The Take 5 pattern uses 5/8 yard of each of the 5 fabrics for the main body of the quilt. The additional yardage for the 2 chosen fabrics is to remain strictly for the borders, both inner and outer. By separating the 5/8 yard of the 2 fabrics at the start, you avoid getting it mixed up with the border fabric and possibly falling short later on. Which could be possible, depending on how the later cutting instructions are to be followed.