How Much Fabric Do I Need?
The most common question I get regarding my quilt block tutorials is "How much fabric do I need to make a ______ (insert size) size quilt with this block?" While I would love to be able to answer every one of those questions, I simply don't have the time and so much depends on what the layout would be, size of borders, etc.
Anyway, I thought I would share this little table with you that you can use to figure out the yardage you need. Please note that this is not a calculator - you'll need to do the math!
Just multiply how many patches of a certain size and color you need for one block by how many blocks you'll have in your quilt - that number is what you will put in Column B. You'll need to do this for every different color and size patch that is in the block.
How to Determine Amount of Fabric Needed for Quilt
Fabric Color ______________
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| Size of Patch
|
No. of Patches | Size of WOF Strip | How Many in One WOF Strip | B / D (round up to next whole number | E x C |
| Example 2.5" x 2.5" | 24 | 2.5" | 16 | 24 / 16 = 1.5 round up to 2 | 2 x 2.5" = 5" |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
I use 40" as the width of fabric (WOF) when determining yardage. Often the fabric is a bit wider than 40" but that gives me a little leeway to make sure I have enough.
You can do the same math to figure out the amount of sashing or border fabric you need as well.
I hope this helps you "do the math" for figuring out how much fabric you need to make your next quilt! Feel free to copy and paste the table so you can print it out!
Happy Quilting!
Elaine
P.S. If you liked this post and want to see more quilting tutorials like this, simply click here to sign up for my newsletter and also receive a free PDF quilt pattern called "Chained Weathervane".