Quilter's Resources
How big is a fat quarter? A fat quarter is approximately 18” x 22.” Fat quarters are cut this way:
Leave your fabric folded in half and cut an 18” piece. Turn the piece so you can easily cut along the fold, leaving you with 2 equally sized pieces. A fat quarter is always 18” wide and the length will vary slightly depending on the actual width of the fabric off the bolt. Sometimes the fabric is 44”, giving you a true 18” x 22” piece. Sometimes it’s 42” or 43” leaving you with 2 pieces slightly less than 22” long.
How do I calculate how much fabric I need for binding? Measure the length of your project and multiply that number by 2 (you have 2 sides on your project). Measure the width of your quilt and multiply that number by 2 (the top and bottom). Add the 2 numbers together then add another 10”.
Divide that final number by 40” (width of fabric and this gives you some “cushion” in your calculating). That number equals the number of strips you’ll need to cut for your binding. Finally, multiply that number by the width you like to cut your binding strips; most people prefer to use a 2 ½” strip. That final number represents the number of inches you need to have so you can cut your strips and sew them together for binding.
Use this formula and feel comfortable in figuring out how much binding you need:
| Length of the project _____ x 2 = _____ Width of the project _____ x 2 = _____ |
| Add the 2 numbers on the right above: _____ |
| Divide that number by 40 = ____ |
| Multiply that number by 2.5 (or whatever width strip you cut for binding) = ______ |
Now you know how much fabric you need for your binding!
A Place to Shop
A Place to Sew
But Best of All
Friendships to Grow
Philosophy of Robbie & John
