[Justine J]

Here’s dumb question #654 from me – I have just seen some absolutely gorgeous fabric (velveteen, cord, and knit) that I’m dying to add to my stash to use for Sunday Brunch & Hopscotch for next winter – it’s wider than usual quilting cotton and a bit more expensive so I don’t really want to order the fabric requirement as suggested on the pattern – I’m sure there’s a very simple way to work this out but I have no idea! Anyone?

[Nicole]

I have a chart in an old Topkids sewing book , I will fish it out Justine.

xn

[Justine J]

Thanks Nicole 🙂

[Nicole]

http://patternsthatfityou.com/fabricconversionchart.htm

Asked Son , he googled here you go!

[sayiamyou]

Don’t forget to account for your knit shrinkage though! Thanks for the source, Nicole (& son&heir)! Sometimes I wonder the same thing!

[Emily]

If I’m buying especially expensive fabric and want exactly enough, I’ll use newspaper in place of fabric and lay out the pattern. That way I know everything will fit, I can account for nap/directionals, and I can buy just as much as I need (accounting for shrinkage, of course!!). Someone here on the forums gave that tip awhile ago and it’s been invaluable.

[Justine J]

Thanks everyone! I should have googled it myself – Nicole – please thank son & heir for doing it for me – I’m a bit of a luddite!

I will remember the shrinkage factor too 🙂

I like your tip too, Emily – very clever!

I really want all the fabrics I saw yesterday but trying to bring down the cost 🙂

[Anonymous]

I really like Emily’s tip – I think it’s got to be the best way to do the conversion since you can’t always be sure how things might lay out on a different width.

[Justine J]

Yes, it’s really a good one, isn’t it Sandi? I’ve been thinking about it – contempleted sticking together a large sheet of paper with diff widths marked on it that I can roll up and keep!!!

[Liesl Gibson]

I’ve seen that conversion chart before, but it doesn’t make any sense, to me. To determine yardage for a pattern you really have to lay it out. Pieces will fit together differently, and there is no mathematical way to determine that 1 1/2 yards of 44″ wide fabric is the equivalent of 3/4 yard 60″ wide fabric where pattern pieces come into play. I would always suggest doing a test layout instead of guessing, where possible. Colette did a nice post about cutting layouts and yardage estimates recently. (If you don’t already read the Colette blog, it’s wonderful, by the way.) I wholeheartedly agree with Sarai on this topic:

http://www.colettepatterns.com/blog/tutorials-tips-tricks/the-truth-about-cutting-layouts

[Anonymous]

that’s a great idea, justmejay!