Calculating Fabric Requirements

 

Using this convenient little tool, you will never again need to be some kind of math whiz or guess how much fabric to buy, how many strips to cut, how wide to cut your strips or how much your fabric will cost. And, when you get your FabriCalc from us - you get a step-by-step Guide showing you how to use the FabriCalc. With this convenient little tool, you won't need to do all of the calculations shown below. Just enter the size of your blocks, the size of your quilt, the number of triangles, and the calculator does the rest. And when you get your FabriCalc from us, we will guide you through a live example, step-by-step, fully illustrated in color - so you see exactly what to enter and what your FabriCalc looks like after you enter the numbers. Click here to learn more

 

Note that if you are cutting strips in order to make squares, no matter what size square you are cutting, add 1/2 inch to the finished size of your square, and 3/4 inch for half square triangles.  For example, strips to make 3 inch finished size square patches will be cut 3 1/2 inches wide.  Strips for half square triangles will be cut 3 3/4 inches wide.

(Note - many quilters cut their strips for half-square triangles 3 7/8 inches wide. If you sew half-square triangles with the tips cut off, they end up being 3 3/4 inches wide - that 1/8 inch times however many strips you are cutting can make the difference between having enough fabric and running out!)

To make squares, you will cut 3 1/2 inch pieces from the 3 1/2 inch strips, making 3 1/2 inch squares.

It will take 3 3/4 inches to make 2 half square triangles from a strip 3 7/8 inches wide.

The following is an example, using the quilt design shown below.  The quilt block is pictured below.  The number marked in each patch is the number of the color as it is referenced in the calculations below.

 

 

Assumptions for this quilt:

These calculations are for a quilt that has 9” blocks.

Each patch is 3” square, finished size

The quilt has 4 blocks across and 6 blocks down for a total of 24 blocks

Step 1

The first step is to determine how many of each shape can be cut from a strip of fabric.

To do this, I assume that my fabric is 40” wide.  Although I know that much of the 100% cotton fabric is available in widths of 42” to 44” and sometimes even 48” wide, I like to be conservative in estimating the width.  I would rather have fabric left over than to run out of fabric in the middle of the night!

The following chart shows how to make that calculation:

*Assume you will get fewer of the shape from the strip than the calculation shows, and round down.
**HST = Half Square Triangle

Step 2

The second step is to calculate the total number of patches of each shape required to make your quilt.  First, take a look at the block and count the number of squares of each color, and then the number of half square triangles of each color and write them down.

Then multiply your counts by the number of blocks in your quilt.

These calculations are shown in the chart below:

* Count the number of each shape and color in one block.
**HST = Half Square Triangle

Step 3

Now you are ready to calculate how much fabric of each color you need using numbers from the calculations in the previous two charts.

 

Color 1

*This time, round up so you will have enough fabric
**To calculate the width of the strips you need to cut, add 1/2” to the finished size of your squares, and 7/8” to the finished size of your Half Square Triangles
***Rounding up – I would buy 1 1/2 yards of Color 1

Color 2

* Half Square Triangle
** This actually comes out to 1/3, but the math is easier if it is rounded to eighths
***Rounding up – I would get 1 yard of Color 2

Color 3

***Rounding up – I would get 1/2 yard of Color 3

Color 4

***Rounding up – I would get 1/2 yard of Color 4

Remember, this is just for the blocks in your quilt.  If you are planning to use the same fabric for the borders, buy more.

If you are really organized and know how your borders will look, you can purchase what is required to make those borders.

Since I prefer to wait until I have my quilt blocks together before I plan my borders, I generally buy an extra yard of each fabric I plan to use for the border.

In summary,

Color 2 1 yard

Color 3 1/2 yard

Color 4 1/2 yard

 

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

Penny is a quilter of more than 28 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

This article courtesy of http://www.How-to-Quilt.com.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

©2006-10, Penny Halgren

 

The Machine Quilting Adventure Batting can make a difference in your machine quilting. Discover how to choose batting for your quilt that will show off your machine quilting AND be easy to work with. Click here to learn more

 

 

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