Before I share my thoughts with you....I think a Flamingo Update is in order:
When I first saw this Flamingo...I thought it was the black sheep of the family....but I was wrong. This Flamingo can be illuminated and it glows at night :) As you can see, Glowie Flamingo has chores to do today....
And Gimpie Flamingo also needs to finish some chores.....but.....
their siblings got their work done early and they've gone fishing!
"A Better Way"
I find myself saying there has got to be "A Better Way" frequently....and then the wheels start turning....
my old wheels start turning. You know they can get rusty don't you? LOL
How many times do you start a project with a specific pattern and know exactly what you want to make and then go buy just enough fabric for that project? Honestly....I want to know from each of you that read this post....please leave me a comment telling me approximately how often that happens for you.
Here is my dilemma... I have some fabrics that I bought for one project and then changed my mind so I have these fabrics....
My mother wants me to make her a full size quilt for her birthday present and she really likes these fabrics. I'm tickled because I can use up this fabric.....until I remember that this was going to be a baby quilt so I'm going to need more fabric to make a full size bed quilt.
My process:
1. Need more fabric
2. Search for more fabric and I'd like to expand into some of the other fabrics the designer has in this line
3. How much more fabric will I need? That will depend on what pattern I'm going to make.
5. I need to find a pattern.....which in part will be dictated by the fabrics. While looking at the fabric I know I don't want to loose the focus fabric so I don't want to cut it smaller than 6" finished.
Are you frustrated yet? This is where the frustration sets in for me. Now the task is to find a pattern that will finish into a full size quilt AND have 6" blocks AND will use the coordinating fabrics in a pleasing way.
I think that is why people buy kits...like this one....
Yep....this one comes with the pattern and all the fabric needed. That is one solution....but many of us buy fabric before we know what we are going to make....am I right?
I don't know of a database that I can search where I can enter the size quilt I want to make and then up pops tons of choices in that size range. I also don't know of a data base where I can say how much of each fabric I have and get a list of patterns that I could make using that amount of fabric (and if I wanted it to be larger...how much more fabric would I need).
Stick with me here.....
It is like being able to plug into a database that you have chicken, butter and three eggs....and then a recipe containing these ingredients would pop up (in my fantasy life...the database would scan recipes and spit out choices of different meals that could be made using those ingredients and highlighted in red would be the "other" ingredients you need to go and buy to complete the recipe).
Sounds simple doesn't it? My mind tells me an algorithm can be written so that the process can be reversed....starting from ingredients firs,t instead of completed project. I approached the folks at Electric Quilt a few years ago at Market and shared my idea. I hope and pray they add this to their software.
OK, I know that I can make my own pattern....I can go into my Electric Quilt 7 software and design something....I can change other patterns to make them work with what I have....there are lots of options here...I get that.
How many of you don't want to do all the calculations and gyrations and hope that it all works out? Call me lazy....but I want a database that has this information in it that I can access. Perhaps I've been spoiled by Google....I Google everything under the sun. Google has become the wise elder in my village. Honestly, I do feel a bit of guilt just writing this post because I know my brain can solve all these things...but aren't we all so happy to have a calculator even though we are completely capable of doing the math ourselves?
I want to know what you think....and what you do in these situations. If you don't want to leave a comment for everyone else to read...you can e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com
I Have The Notion but lack the skills to get to the end result....LOL
Smiles,
Kelly
PS....I reserve the right to see things differently once I've been enlightened by my friends :)
I just buy fabric willy-nilly and go from there. No rhyme or reason. Hence the reason I'm purging these days. I need to be more of a planner (but less of an over-thinker).
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone ought to design a Ravelry for quilters?
ReplyDeleteI never buy kits bz I like to mix things up and make a pattern my own. I like you idea of a reverse quilting guide to use up what you have though. Hmmmm, my son's a computer programmer do you think I can talk him into writing one and letting me put in the info for what a pattern uses?.....yeah, probably not. I'll be coming back to look at the responses you get to this dilemma!
ReplyDeleteI just add more fabric that blends in with what I have. Doesn't happen to often though. I usually make whatever I have boughten for fabric for. I do like to buy kits too.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, there are several recipe sites that allow you to search by ingredients. do a google search on "ingredient search recipe". As for quilt search, I don't know of one off hand, but I keeps a folder of pictures that I call quilt inspiration. Anytime I see something that I like I save it in that folder. Some pictures won't save, so those I keep the URL. When I need ideas for a quilt, I go there first. If I find something that will work, then I go to EQ7. Why, because with EQ7 I cna make it work to my needs by changing the block size, adding another block or additional fabric etc. it's certainly more economical than cutting & sewing and find out I don't have enough. Besides, the design process is one of my favorite parts of the process.
ReplyDeleteA color brick quilt would be good for your fabrics. Hawthorne fabric's website has fabrics that match each other by color. You might try to find your original fabric and use their database to find other fabrics that would match.
ReplyDeleteWhen confronted with a problem like this I go to my "old faithful" patterns. You know...the ones that you can make in your sleep without thinking!
ReplyDeletei buy extra; if i don't use it, it goes into whole piece scraps for small projects then it goes into applique scraps. then, i have twice googled the name of the collection and the number for a particular piece i want more of and found it. more often, since i usually buy just the focus and one or two other pieces of a collection, i use solids or blenders and a stripe or dots out of my stash with them. so, i don't do calculations; this is supposed to be fun, hmmm?
ReplyDeleteWhat I see.........looking at those pretty fabrics.....How about mixing those with white, and making one of those BIG zig zag/chevron quilts with every other row white and all your pretty fabrics as the other rows?
ReplyDeleteI admit it. I am a scrapper, kills me to have to put a quilt together with only a couple of fabrics..........I usually try to gather many many many :) and I hardly ever buy kits unless it has a pattern I want REALLY really badly and cannot get it any other way because usually I want to make it in my own colors. I then add the kit fabrics to my stash. :)
Well, truthfully, I usually over-buy at the beginning of all my projects (sometimes I have a change of heart/mind, and sometimes I just have a slipsies moment, and sometimes, I just decide to go off on my own & stray from the pattern (ok, most of the time for that one!)), so I usually have enough to eke out something different.
ReplyDeleteIf not, I just go buy more, something that blends or contrasts easily.
Here's one of my favorite fabric calculation sites:
http://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/Resources.php
I use that whenever Driver isn't around (true, that's seldom, but it happens every now & then).
Good luck! (maybe there's an app for that??)
Feeling better?
ReplyDeleteOh, you are making my brain hurt. It can be frustrating trying to figure out how to make a quilt in different sizes. I don't buy kits anymore. I think that maybe you could just buy some more fabrics that go with the ones your MIL likes. In this situation I would buy more than I probably need at the moment but like you I have way to go through all that figuring. But from the comments you might have some answers. I am going to check out a few of those links myself. Good luck!
I go to the quilt shop, give them the fabric I have, and ask them for a pattern and coordinating fabrics! They even figure the yardages for me! Sorry to say, but math makes my brain hurt.
ReplyDeleteI just fly by the seat of my pants. Quilting and the process is fun...your dilemma didn't sound fun at all. If I had to depend on my computer to come up with a quilt plan, I'd never quilt. I also think the computer would be filled with traditional quilt plans and right now I'm after quilting ideas that not everyone else is making.
ReplyDeleteI see a fabric I like and I buy it. I hardly ever have a pattern in mind. I'm terrible like that. My stash is over flowing. I think I even have the fabric you have shown if you need some let me know!!
ReplyDeletePatty at paweis at yahoo dot com
I love your idea of a database and hope someone comes up with one! I buy fabric generally because I love the fabric. The problem for me is that I like so many differing style lines that I generally can't mix and match them. So what happens to me is that when I decide what I want to make I gather my fabrics, add to the line with any fabric in my stash that matches, and then resort to having to buy more fabric. That's not necessarily a bad thing but my stash is getting way too big. But....a database...now that's a dream!
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea of a super quilters database/APP. Bet you'd become a zillionnaire if you created it!
Love the fabric your mom has picked out. I look forward to see which design you select/create.
SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
Strawberry Pie... Silver Thimble Quilt Co. You have a direct line to the designer. don't look at the red and white.. It is fabulous in any color combinations..8.5 in focus blocks.. Easy peesy.. Trust me!
ReplyDeleteThere are some Fandango fabrics still available here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SanourrasFabricLove?section_id=6179256
ReplyDeleteGood luck - sounds like you've got lots of "figurin'" to do...
Well if you find that site let me know. I bought a kit for a quilt for my husband a few years ago (5) but now I don't like the pattern the blocks are too tiny for my arthritic fingers and I keep on searching for a new pattern but it is hard none of them quite fit the amount of fabric I have. I like the idea of using white to spread out the colors. Good luck
ReplyDeleteI agree with Susan. I have a couple of stand by patterns, that I've made for years. They are the ones that you don't even need to use the pattern anymore. I would try to find some nice coordinating fabric (maybe a solid) and go from there. It will work.
ReplyDeletePat's Strawberry pie is pretty http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Shopper_id=8957652057188957&Store_id=633&page_id=23&Item_ID=1003
ReplyDeleteI usually wing it and make my own pattern - sometimes as I go. With that focus fabric you could do bordered blocks OR large snowball blocks (like 8 to 12 inch blocks) The big blocks will finish faster. AS for fabric, I have a stash and if I need something I don't have I just go looking for it and buy it if I can. You could easily add some fun solids to that mix of fabric. I would add a solid yellow matching the yellow in the focus fabric (close is fine it doesn't have to be perfect) Also solids of any color in the focus fabric will work.
Ah yes...this is a familiar problem. Kits do take the guesswork out. I often think I can get a better deal by buying the individual fabrics I need instead of a kit. I always buy extra so I have enough. I always end up spending more than if I had just bought a kit. But I always thing kits are so expensive! Lets face it...yardage is expensive!! Love the fabrics you're starting with. Some of my favs.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Thanks for the flamingo updates...I always enjoy them!
ReplyDeleteThis is the Ohio star quilt I made with an iPad app called BlockFab HD. It lets you choose a block, choose the finished size, try out different color combinations and it calculates the size of each piece of fabric for you based on the finished size. It worked perfectly. I used leftover fabric to make a 38 inch Ohio star an added borders to make it about 54 inches square. Here is the picture. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/lhayward/7158811509/in/photostream]
ReplyDeleteHave you 'Swooned' yet?? I had bought all this fabric to make my Honeymna a quilt and my problem was that the focus fabric had a little bigger design. (he is a fireman and it was 'big boy' fire related LOL) I decided that the focus fabric fell PERFECTLY for the center of a swoon block!! Ok go look at it and I will wait here http://jocrazymama.blogspot.com/2012/02/so-now-to-figure-out-where-i-am.html
ReplyDeleteOK your back.. as for size I have no clue what size is full, queen, throw, Nothin! To new for that! LOL But these are 24 inch blocks and I'm sure with sashings and such you could make it work! You think about it and get back with me! LOL Just kidding! But you crack me up! I think that a software would be AMAZING!! LOL
I don't buy kits and I rarely use patterns, so I always have a lot of pieces that I was sure were the right size, but weren't and had to be recut, sigh. I guess it all comes down to what kind of quilt you're mom would like, classic or a more modern look? I made one from that Kate Spain, the fabric is wonderful. How about adding some white, aqua and brown to the mix so you can stretch it a bit.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling better! Love seeing the birds, and I found all of the comments good reads...thanks for stretching our brains!!
ReplyDeleteI have resorted to quilt kits in some instances because I do not want to take the time to figure it all out. Your mom has great taste in fabrics!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - if there's an easier way to do the math and figure things out - lead me to it! I don't know if it would help you in this situation (maybe you're already aware of it), but there is an app from Robert Kaufman Fabrics for figuring out yardage, etc. Go here: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/quiltingcalc/id390366459?mt=8
ReplyDeleteWhen you find that database, please post it for all to use! That really does sound like a fantastic idea. I normally would turn to my EQ7 to figure something out, or just start looking through my magazines and books for quilts using 6" blocks for the focus fabric. Can't wait to see what you come up with.
ReplyDeletebuy two colors for the borders and another for the binding. if one border is 3" and another is 2" your real fabric will go a long way. mixing and matching the rest of the co-ordinates, choose a block according to your level of ability and get going. stars? zigzag? if you run out, add sold color sashing to match the sashing or use the blocks on point with solids alternating. the prints don't have to be the focus fabrics - the solids can be the focus with the prints as the secondary feature. how about squares with printed random circles in the center alternating with solids? that will stretch the prints.
ReplyDeleteI have the same dilemma too.. I think I'm too greedy. I have lots of ideal projects in my list and i take this excuse to purchase fabrics. But I never completed it.. :(
ReplyDelete