Anyone who sews anything—clothes or quilts—knows that fabric requirements are one of the first things you need to know.
Unfortunately, with traditional quilt methods, it can also be a barrier to designing your own quilts.
It sometimes feels as if pattern designers are hoarding some special, secret power.
You can determine Quilt Fabric Requirements
Good news! The Inklingo Catalogue of Shapes in every Shape Collection actually gives that power to you. Some quilters don’t use this new power, but many love it.
Inklingo always provides Suggested Custom Page sizes for efficient use of the fabric, plus diagrams and tips for calculating fabric requirements. You can see them in the free shape collection for Diamonds, Triangles, and Squares. (I always recommend starting with the free shapes.)
To “actually” give you the power, there are some tiny changes to the lyrics.
Jump for my love becomes Print all the shapes
I’ll take you down becomes Inklingo now
Print it, Inklingo’s all that you need
Press freezer paper on me
So exciting, I can see quilts getting better, oh baby
Inklingo now, Inklingo now like no one’s ever done before
And if you want more, if you want more, more, more
Then print all your shapes
Print all the cutting lines
Print if you want more precision in your quilts then
Print, print all your shapes
Inklingo now, Inklingo now like no one’s ever done before
As it says in the song, when you print on fabric with Inklingo, you get more, more, more, so you can actually be confident in your designs. A good reason to Love (Inklingo) Actually.
1. My Springtime Quilt Design – FREE 5-Page PDF
I have prepared drawings of fabric layouts for you. You can download a free 5-page PDF with fabric requirements and layouts for My Springtime Quilt.
The info is specific to Springtime and you will need to refer to the Springtime shape collection for the details about each shape.
However, even if you don’t have the Springtime shape collection (yet) there is useful info in the PDF. You can skim through it to get a good idea of the method for counting the shapes and creating the diagrams for fabric requirements.
NOTE ABOUT RUSS When Russ finished helping me proofread the PDF, he put down his pen, said Good Luck With That, and left quickly to unload the dishwasher. In other words, the PDF might be confusing (especially counting the F/G shapes) unless you are just looking for an overview of the method.
The good news is that counting the shapes for Springtime is an unusual example. Counting the F/G shapes on the edge of each block can be confusing, partly because of the mirror image. Most of the time, counting the shapes for fabric requirements doesn’t have this complication. I have more to say about F/G next time. In the meantime, you’ll just have to trust me. (And thank you for unloading the dishwasher.)
If you have Winding Ways – Quilting the Inklingo Way (hardcover or download), there are good examples without this complication, so it is simpler to count the shapes.
2. YOUR Springtime Quilt Design
The Springtime shape collection provides all the tools you need to design your own quilt and the PDF (above) teaches the method.
Monkey says, Give a quilter chocolate and feed her for a day. Teach a quilter where to get chocolate bars and feed her for a lifetime.
Or maybe fish. Or similar. Whatever. You get the idea.
“Determining quilt fabric requirements” is not as fancy as you might expect. It’s just counting, minimal arithmetic (like 4 x 4 = 16), and tracing/printing from the Catalogue of Shapes.
3. Springtime Quilt in Electric Quilt 8
If you haven’t tried Electric Quilt 8 yet, you should have a look. Watch a demo of EQ8!
Electric Quilt gives approximate fabric requirements as shown above, which are different from Inklingo (on the right) but the diagrams in the Inklingo Catalogue of Shapes are more accurate and provide cutting layouts. Monkey says it’s like the difference between an estimate and a quote when you need car repairs before driving to quilt retreat.
Last time I shared music from Sting and an Electric Quilt 8 project file for Springtime and there is another project file coming soon.
Sundresses, High Heels, and Sun Tans
Fabric requirements are not new to me. It started when I was sewing my own clothes as a girl. Many quilters start that way.
I am shorter than my sisters and I could always buy less than the recommended amount of fabric for a pattern. I would shorten the tissue paper pattern pieces first and lay them out on the dining room table before I bought exactly the minimum amount of fabric. Patterns were expensive (65 cents!), and having scraps of fabric left over was just plain wasteful. (Not true for quilters.)
I made the pleated dress on the pattern for a dance. Navy with white straps and pleats. With heels. Those were the days! Anyone who has seen my Dear Jane or my Quilted Diamonds knows that I am partial to blue and white. I used the pattern again to make a yellow one which looked great with a tan. Good memories but no more high heels and no more sunbathing for me.
Monkey and I know that some quilters will not want to figure out how much fabric to buy but isn’t it nice to know that if you create your own design, Inklingo allows you to determine fabric requirements yourself?
You could just guess how much fabric you might need and if you run short, hope that this shirt might be available.
At least you know that if you can count the shapes, you can determine the exact quilt fabric requirements—thanks to Inklingo.
Let me remind you to watch Love Actually again this Christmas. I’ll continue wearing out the DVD. (Best romcom ever?) There is lots of upbeat music to keep you smiling and quilting all day.
There is More, More, More About Springtime to Come
Monkey and have a few more very cool tips and another EQ8 project file that will make sewing your My Springtime Quilt more precise and easier, so please stay tuned.
Sale Price Actually Ending
Monkey wants to remind you that the low intro sale price for Springtime ends on Saturday night at midnight.