Quilt needs too much fabric?
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
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I went to a sewday yesterday and a quilter was finishing up a quilt as you go hexie quilt. It was stunning. She demoed how the hexie was made. After the demo one woman said the quilt used too much fabric and she wouldn't waste that much fabric making one quilt. I asked her how a quilt could use too much fabric? The quilt in question was made from scrap fabric to begin with. Are there any quilt patterns or techniques you think uses too much fabric?
#3
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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The more seams and/or the smaller the pieces ... the more the fabric!
And of course, the larger the quilt!
Many don't realize just how much fabric it takes to make a quilt!
Especially if you are used to shopping your stash ...
... or buying fabric in stages (eg. main part of quilt, borders later, backing later etc.)
And of course, the larger the quilt!

Many don't realize just how much fabric it takes to make a quilt!
Especially if you are used to shopping your stash ...
... or buying fabric in stages (eg. main part of quilt, borders later, backing later etc.)
#4
Certain techniques--or rather, teachers of certain techniques--use much more fabric than making a block using a different technique. One that comes to mind is a book called Stars by Magic by Nancy Johnson Szrebo. you made 8 point stars by making 8 blocks, drawing a diagonal line across 4 of them, pairing them with the other 4, sewing on the line, cutting 1/4 inch from the line and throwing the cut offs away.
Quilt patterns take fabric--the more intricate the pattern, the more fabric necessary--before one even gets to the 'oopsie' factor.
Quilt patterns take fabric--the more intricate the pattern, the more fabric necessary--before one even gets to the 'oopsie' factor.
#6
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Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 186
#7
Maybe she was referring to fussy cutting? That initially leaves tons of holey fabric but scrap quilters know how to deal with it, yum yum
curves always leave waste fabric, but straight hexagons don't waste hardly any fabric if cut right.
'so my guess is fussy cutting was involved
curves always leave waste fabric, but straight hexagons don't waste hardly any fabric if cut right. 'so my guess is fussy cutting was involved
#8
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No fussy cutting. Whatever way the template fit that is how she cut the scraps. She did you all the same binding around each one so the backing would be the same. The quilt made me dig out my quilt as you go templates and start one. They are addicting. The template is Daisy and Grace from MS. I found a large template in my template drawer I forgot about. A tutorial was posted here years ago how to do this and I ordered from the link there.
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Carroll, Iowa
Posts: 3,980
I find Elizabeth Hartman's pattern call for too much fabric, normally a fat quarter for each figure but I found a way to use up some of those extra pieces by adding them to the sides as an extra border/sash. Also I think that pattern that you need a number of repeats, maybe 5-6 repeats to make one block, can't remember the name of the pattern, maybe kalidoscope, I've never made one but just looks like you'd waste some fabric making one.
Oh, yes, I love Hartman's patterns, just think she calls for too much fabric for the block to start with.
Oh, yes, I love Hartman's patterns, just think she calls for too much fabric for the block to start with.
#10
No fussy cutting. Whatever way the template fit that is how she cut the scraps. She did you all the same binding around each one so the backing would be the same. The quilt made me dig out my quilt as you go templates and start one. They are addicting. The template is Daisy and Grace from MS. I found a large template in my template drawer I forgot about. A tutorial was posted here years ago how to do this and I ordered from the link there.

