The smaller the pieces, the more fabric it takes to make a block
 

For this example:

the block/unit is 12 inches, finished size
the seam allowances are 1/4 inch
the pieces are all the same size

[TABLE]
<tbody> [TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #bec0bf"]

[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #bec0bf"]

[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #bec0bf"]

[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #bec0bf"]

[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #bec0bf"]

[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #bec0bf"]

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Number of Pieces in Block/Unit
[/TD]
[TD] Grid
[/TD]
[TD] Cut size of piece(s)
[/TD]
[TD] Finished size of piece(s)
[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2"] Number of square inches needed for block/unit
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] One
[/TD]
[TD] 1 x 1
[/TD]
[TD] 12-1/2 x 12-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 12 x 12
[/TD]
[TD] 1 x 12-1/2 x 12-/12
[/TD]
[TD] 156-1/4
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Four
[/TD]
[TD] 2 x 2
[/TD]
[TD] 6-1/2 x 6-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 6 x 6
[/TD]
[TD] 4 x 6-1/2 x 6-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 169
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Nine
[/TD]
[TD] 3 x 3
[/TD]
[TD] 4-1/2 x 4-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 4 x 4
[/TD]
[TD] 9 x 4-1/2 x 4-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 182-1/4
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Sixteen
[/TD]
[TD] 4 x 4
[/TD]
[TD] 3-1/2 x 3-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 3 x 3
[/TD]
[TD] 16 x 3-1/2 x 3-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 196
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Twenty-five
[/TD]
[TD] 4 x 5
[/TD]
[TD] 2-9/10 x 2-9/10
[/TD]
[TD] 2.4 x 2.4
[/TD]
[TD] 25 x 2-9/10 x 2-9/10
[/TD]
[TD] 210-1/4
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Thirty-six
[/TD]
[TD] 6 x 6
[/TD]
[TD] 2-1/2 x 2-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 2 x 2
[/TD]
[TD] 36 x 2-1/2 x 2-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 225
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Sixty-four
[/TD]
[TD] 8 x 8
[/TD]
[TD] 2 x 2
[/TD]
[TD] 1-1/2 x 1-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 64 x 2 x 2
[/TD]
[TD] 256
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] Eighty-one
[/TD]
[TD] 9 x 9
[/TD]
[TD] 1-5/6 x 1-5/6
[/TD]
[TD] 1-1/3 x 1-1/3
[/TD]
[TD] 81 x 1-5/6 x 1-5/6
[/TD]
[TD] 272-1/4
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #dcdcdc"] One hundred forty-four
[/TD]
[TD] 12 x 12
[/TD]
[TD] 1-1/2 x 1-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 1 x 1
[/TD]
[TD] 144 x 1-1/2 x 1-1/2
[/TD]
[TD] 324
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody> [/TABLE]

Yes and the heavier the quilt!

This is my biggest issue with Bonnie Hunter’s quilts. They are lovely and fun (up to a point ��), but they take so much fabric! I know that the idea is to use your stash, but even after 9 years and a pretty decent stash, I always have to go out and buy more fabric!

I've made 4 queen size BH quilts just from my stash. Didn't buy one piece of fabric. Sadly I've barely made a dent in the stash. Then again, I've been quilting for over 40 years so I've had plenty of time to acquire a huge stash.

I agree that the smaller the pieces, the heavier the quilt--and string quilts-- esp. if using a foundation fabric can also be very heavy.

A lot of fabric is "hidden" in the seam allowances. So it follows that the more seams, the more fabric is "hidden".

I made a king size quilt with 1.5" uf squares. Finished was 1sq inch of fabric per square visible, with 1.25 sq inch of fabric in the seam allowance. Not too many quilts work out where there is more fabric in the seam allowance than what is visible.

The quilt was 120" square, and total fabric used calculated out to 21.5 yards. Not a bad way to use up lots of scraps.

My 365 day challenge quilt probably used even more, it had a lot of smaller pieces.

I love all these small piece ideas. I just made 9 blocks in Leah Days friendship quilt along - some friends gave me a scrap or two - everything else from my two scrap pins. Hardly made a dent. Now I am considering Macybaby’s idea. Very appealing.