MNcarol: Maggie Nae & Debbie, You commented that JoAnn's has a fabric sale currently going on, but I would encourage you and everyone to go to your local quilt shop and support them... the little guy, rather than the "big box" company. Also, the fabric isn't of the same quality. Quilt shop fabric, generally speaking, is better quality, more threads per inch, etc. Not to nock JoAnns, and I've done my share of shopping there over the years, but I've quit buying fabric there for my quilts. If I put all the time and effort in to making a quilt, I want it to be from fabric that will last. That's just my 2 cents for what it's worth.
Maggie Nae & Debbie,
You commented that JoAnn's has a fabric sale currently going on, but I would encourage you and everyone to go to your local quilt shop and support them... the little guy, rather than the "big box" company. Also, the fabric isn't of the same quality. Quilt shop fabric, generally speaking, is better quality, more threads per inch, etc. Not to nock JoAnns, and I've done my share of shopping there over the years, but I've quit buying fabric there for my quilts. If I put all the time and effort in to making a quilt, I want it to be from fabric that will last. That's just my 2 cents for what it's worth.
I completely agree with you MNcarol! I shop JoAnn's for notions, threads, rulers, etc. I have pretty much given up on their quilting cottons. Most of it is of poor quality and some of it is really stiff. If quilters want a quilt shop to succeed, we must support it. I have found that JoAnn's designer lines of fabric are priced about the same as quilt shop fabrics.
Just two more days....I soooo can't wait!
I've been working feverishly on my neutral quilt squares so that I have room for the MQ this weekend!
I've been thinking about my background fabric. Since my quilt is all blues, I'm not so sure I want to do a blue background. I run the gamut from bright turquoise to deep navy blue, and all shades in between. However, I'm not using many light colors. Once I put the lighter squares next to my background, they seemed to disappear. So, maybe the light blue background will work after all.
I'm glad I have all of you to bounce my thoughts off of. lol!
Now that we have that issue taken care of...bring on the instructions!!
Chicagoland, Illinois
Sheri A.: MNcarol: Maggie Nae & Debbie, You commented that JoAnn's has a fabric sale currently going on, but I would encourage you and everyone to go to your local quilt shop and support them... the little guy, rather than the "big box" company. Also, the fabric isn't of the same quality. Quilt shop fabric, generally speaking, is better quality, more threads per inch, etc. Not to nock JoAnns, and I've done my share of shopping there over the years, but I've quit buying fabric there for my quilts. If I put all the time and effort in to making a quilt, I want it to be from fabric that will last. That's just my 2 cents for what it's worth. I completely agree with you MNcarol! I shop JoAnn's for notions, threads, rulers, etc. I have pretty much given up on their quilting cottons. Most of it is of poor quality and some of it is really stiff. If quilters want a quilt shop to succeed, we must support it. I have found that JoAnn's designer lines of fabric are priced about the same as quilt shop fabrics.
I would love to be able to do that, but unfortunately, with my budget, I cannot afford to shop at the LQS. I about died the first time I went in there to get fabric for a block exchange. I'm a budget quilter, so I have to wait until the fabric is 50% off to begin with...which makes the 7.99/yard fabric affordable.
Anita Coutu: Also, what it's yardage equivalent is. Thanks so much.
Also, what it's yardage equivalent is. Thanks so much.
Welcome Anita!
For the background fabric, you will want 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 yards (I bought more, just in case.)
For the smaller squares, if I did the math correctly, you will need 9 3/8 yard of material, based on 36" wide. (14 blocks/strip--45 strips)
7 3/8 at 45" wide. (18 blocks/strip-35 strips)
As a beginner quilter and not having the luxury of a LQS being near me, I have to rely on JoAnn's and Hancock. I know I can order online but I have to see the fabric in person. I have read the few comments regarding JoAnn's and for some reason it does come out as putting JoAnn's down. I am with Sheri, being a budget quilter.
Northern VA
"Fabricologist Resource Center" ...now doesn't that sound more impressive than "fabric stash" ?
Sorry Sheri, It should have said Susie
Thanks everyone for having my back on where we shop. I am too new still to be spending a lot on fabrics, but I do try to get the better stuff when I can. I willl ALWAYS go for the deal when I can. I do have 8 or 10 charm packs from Craftsy. Waiting to get caught up with current projects to find something to do with these.
DIDASH, I love your ships quilt. It's hard not to want to do another quilt when your first one turns out that well. This is my fiirst MQ as well. My understanding is it's not going to be difficult so we should all be able to have some fun with it. Welcome aboard.
I'm still looking for my white boarder fabric, Maybe I should actually go with a lighter purple. Do we know what size this is going to finish at? I may need to do a couple of boarders.
I, too, bought at WalMart and JoAnn's when I started quilting. Now that I sort of know what I'm doing, I shop online looking for bargains and at my new LQS. I love to look and feel the fabric so the new local LQS is winning out, because I want them to stay in business, but I also look for bargains on line. You can see many of the fabrics at your local LQS that you like and maybe just can't afford, but surprise it may be on closeout at one of the shop's online. I do advocate shopping at your local LQS whenever possible.
Karla:I also look for bargains on line. You can see many of the fabrics at your local LQS that you like and maybe just can't afford, but surprise it may be on closeout at one of the shop's online.
That is an excellent way to get a better quality fabric. There is a site called QuiltFabricCloseouts.com. Even though I like to shop at the LQS, I do look for bargains. Also, Connecting Threads offers their fabrics at very reasonable prices.
Hi lashawng23,
While I do buy my fabric from the LQS most of the time, I agree you should buy what you can afford. I really miss my local Hancock's. They closed all the stores around me so I don't get to shop there anymore :(.
lashawng23: As a beginner quilter and not having the luxury of a LQS being near me, I have to rely on JoAnn's and Hancock. I know I can order online but I have to see the fabric in person. I have read the few comments regarding JoAnn's and for some reason it does come out as putting JoAnn's down. I am with Sheri, being a budget quilter.
I am not a beginner quilter and I shop at JoAnn's and Hancock's and online and at quilt shops. It's all good. The cutest baby quilts I just made were from JoAnn's fabric and they will be around for years to come. I have many quilts I made in my early quilting years from JoAnn's and they are still fine. I also love working with quilt shop quality fabric and have supported my share of quilt shops but I don't have to be exclusive. It doesn't make sense to pay that much for every project I do or I may just like the fabric I see at Hancock's and buy it. It is really totally up to you to decide what is best for the project you are doing. We just need to be sure we are doing our share to help the economy where we can...and as often as we can afford. LOL
Well, I may be crazy but I've changed my plan for the mystery. I ordered a jelly roll and some matching border fabric that hasn't come yet. However, a few days ago I blogged about the ugliest fabric I ever bought, and it got me to thinking. What if I built the mystery around that fabric? I had enough for the border, and I had a piece of neutral for the background. So, I dug into my stash closet and assembled 39 pieces of fabric which pull colors out of the "ugly" and make a coherent color story for a quilt. I'm in the middle of cutting out all the 2 1/2" squares (628? Really?). It's a lot harder when you have to pull out each piece, press it, cut a strip, cut squares and then fold and put away the rest of the scrap. I've only cut about 100 this evening. Whew! This is going to take a while.
Jan, the Calico Quilter
Well I'm going to be totally behind for a couple of more weeks. I have the fabric, but it isn't cut yet and I'm not seeing me getting to cut it until next week at the earliest. :-(
Jan, the Calico Quilter: Well, I may be crazy but I've changed my plan for the mystery. I ordered a jelly roll and some matching border fabric that hasn't come yet. However, a few days ago I blogged about the ugliest fabric I ever bought, and it got me to thinking. What if I built the mystery around that fabric? I had enough for the border, and I had a piece of neutral for the background. So, I dug into my stash closet and assembled 39 pieces of fabric which pull colors out of the "ugly" and make a coherent color story for a quilt. I'm in the middle of cutting out all the 2 1/2" squares (628? Really?). It's a lot harder when you have to pull out each piece, press it, cut a strip, cut squares and then fold and put away the rest of the scrap. I've only cut about 100 this evening. Whew! This is going to take a while. Jan, the Calico Quilter
Jan sounds like you will have a great quilt when you are through. I just went to a quilt show this past weekend. They had a challenge quilt where they gave the people a sample of material that they had to use in their quilts that they made, and some of them was really great with the sample material displayed in it somewhere. The theme they had to use was a famous saying either from a book or a movie. dI just ordered my backing material for my mystery quilt it is one of the Bittersweet fabrics that are in my 2 1/2 " squares. I chose the really light one with the leaves on it. I think it would be great for the backing. If I have some of thet fabric left over I might use it for my binding too. Good Luck to you and can't wait to see your finished quilt.
Pat B from Sunny Southern California
It took a while to dig through the stash to find matching colors but it was kind of fun. Finished cutting and posted my fabric choices in the media section. Haven't picked border colors. Have to see where we wind up.