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A
Time to Sew Quilt
Designs
by Cheryl Almgren Taylor |
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and Trunk Shows Appliqué Directions Measurements & Math Squaring Up More Quilting Tips |
Although quilting is one of the most creative and fun things you can do, sometimes it is necessary to make mathematical calculations, especially if you like to design your own patterns. Listed on this page is some useful information that can be referred to when you are feeling math challenged.
Fabric is usually purchased "by the yard", 36 inches, or a fraction of a yard. Fabric is traditionally manufactured in 44" widths; however, recently some manufacturers have shortened that to 42". These measurements explain what the length of the fabric cut is when you buy a fraction of a yard.
(top) Normally 1/4 of a yard of fabric would be a piece that measured 9" x 44". Quilters use a special cut of fabric called a "fat quarter". It results in the same area of fabric, but the yardage has been cut differently so that the piece measures 18' x 22", enabling quilters to cut larger pieces than you could from a regular quarter of a yard of fabric. (top) Quilt Dimensions There are variations in what determines the appropriate size for a bed quilt. When determining how big you want your quilt to be, you must first know the dimensions of your mattress. These are listed below.
(top) On Point Blocks Blocks that are arranged "on point" are rotated so
that the square block is laid out in a diamond effect. While this is a
beautiful layout, it creates some mathematical complications when
designing a quilt. This is because the diagonal measurement of the
block is creating the width. To determine this measurement, you simply
multiply the finished block size by 1.41. For example, 6" square block
no longer has a 6" width on the quilt top, but has a width of 8 1/2".
Sometimes quilt making requires that we cut pieces with strange, fractional measurements. Knowing the fractional equivalent in decimals can be a help. The following chart provides decimal equivalents for a number of common fractions used in cutting quilt pieces.
Corner setting squares are made from half square
triangles. That means that a square block has been cut on the diagonal,
resulting in two triangles. The legs of the triangle form the outside
edge of the quilt and the hypotenuse is sewn to the block edge. There
are two formulas that can be used to make corner setting triangles. Side setting triangles are used along the side a
quilt with on-point block layout. They are made by cutting a square
twice diagonally, resulting in 4 triangles. The legs of the triangles
are on the bias and the base is on the straight of grain, thus it goes
on the outside of the quilt top. This chart lists the sizes of squares that will be
cross cut to create setting triangles.
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