Quilting query

There is an app from Robert Kaufman called quilters little helper. It's very useful. For that size just using a square joined to a square by my calculations you would need 21x21 ie over 420 squares
What is your pattern?

86'' divided by 4'' = 21.5 therefore you will need 22

22 x 22 = 484

12 x 42 = 504 therefore 12 packs of 42 is what you need.

I would make a sample of your square ( I presume it is to be made from different fabrics) as if it ends up at 4.5'' you will only need 10 packs which could be quite a saving. Be accurate in your sewing and make every seam exactly the same - preferably quarter inch - and re-cut accurately before sewing the squares together. I am making another presumption that you are using a rotary cutter and rulers - the best investment a quilter can make !

Does it have to be exactly 86'' x 86'' ? Don't forget that a border can add a few more inches.

I plan to use the "disappearing 16 patch" technique as it looks fun.

I am planning to buy ready-cut squares, as I did not have a lot of success using a cutter - it gave up on me and was blunt before you could blink!

I do not plan a border - just binding.

I have found what I need on Etsy, and it would be shopped from the US. The fabric I want is much cheaper there. Has anyone ever done this before and have you been stung for import taxes?

There is also an app called block fabric HD which do escall sorts of useful things

Escall = all sorts sorry iPad speak rules

I'm not sure what the ''disappearing 16 patch'' technique is but sounds interesting. Do you have a link to it ?

happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/guest-blogging.html

Here it is "tiggy."

I don't really do apps - we live out of range of mobiles.

Thanks Mishap - sounds good and I shall give it a go when I make more quilts for Project Linus.

I have only made two quilts so far - one was a log cabin design and the other simple patchwork.

Does anyone have any ideas as to the best suppliers for wadding and backing for a king size quilt?

I would avoid cotton wadding. I made that mistake with a king size quilt and it is a tad heavy. I am using a needle punched polyester wadding for the quilts I am making for the latest 2 DGS ( made by Warm and Natural I think it was). It is good to work with and was bought locally for £6.95 a metre. I always buy locally if I can as I like to see and feel it and on this occasion as it was the end of the roll, a bit creased and a bit dusty and I got 1.5 metres for a fiver. Bargain !
As for backing for a large quilt I often use a flat bed sheet picked up in a sale. No joining seams to worry about and nice and flat when joining the 3 layers.

As for your rotary cutting failure Mishap (and being presumptuous again) did you have any instruction in how to use? If not I would suggest you get someone who knows what they are doing (and lots of people don't) to show you how to use properly and most importantly safely. Used correctly they save hours of time and make patchwork so much easier and more accurate.

I admire you lot. Can you put pictures of your results on a thread. I don't have the patience for this, and holding sewing needles for very long just plays havoc with my achy thumb joints these days.
Knitting is not so bad though.

Thanks tiggy - there is a bit of a dearth of suitable shops round here as we are a right out in the country, so I do a lot of my shopping online.

As for the rotary cutter failure - I am entirely sure it was faulty technique on my part, but not quite sure in what way - you would think it was simple really!

I am about to boldly buy this material from the US (as I cannot see anywhere in UK to get it) and hope that I don't get stung for VAT when it arrives. I have emailed customs and Royal Mail and got really silly off-the-peg inaccurate replies from both!

Flat cotton sheets are great for backing. Wilkinsons do great 100% cotton sheets! at the moment. X

Don't know where the ! Came from? X

Oh I wish I had the courage to have a go! My sewing skills aren't the best and I find it so hard to cut and sew accurately. I've joined a U3A sewing group in the hope of practising and improving.

I've just finished a top from Twiddletails.blog called Pinwheels Party. It's only about 48x60 which I feel is manageable size. Disappearing nine patch has a lot of repiecing . I tend to use local shops as we have a good quilting stall in Durham market and the owner has a warehouse. If I want anything by post I use cCreative Grids. You can download their catalogue on line and they have tutorials.

I bought some cotton?polyester backed polyester wadding from Dunelm Mill the other day. I cannot see it on their website now. No more than 1cm thick though.

I know the stuff you mean Nellie. I think it is sold for curtain interlining. Not sure I would use it for quilts though. Rightly or wrongly I am a bit dubious about the glue and how it might de-nature over time.

Dunelm Mills have an appalling website. I was on it on Monday trying to find a curtain fabric widely available in-store in several formats. I couldn't even get curtain fabrics listed, only ready-made curtains. and then only a fraction of their range. In the end I gave up. I spoke to DD, a great fan of Dunelm, she too gave the website a thumbs down.

DD uses thin duvets as wadding in quilts. She has made both DGC a personalised quilt and it works very well

Tiggy It's quite possible it could deteriorate I am not a quilter.

I am very excited as the charm packs that I chose have just got from USA to our out-of-the-way place! I can't wait to get started - I will have to ait for the thread to arrive, as I waited till the material arrived in order to choose the most suitable thread. My DD was here at the weekend and has chosen to have a vanishing 9 patch design (rather than 16). It is always fun to try a new design - fingers crossed!

Hi Mishap, I'm just getting into machine patchwork and I'd hate to 'teach my grandmother to suck eggs', but I've just discovered a quilters foot for my machine which helps to sew very accurate quarter inch seams. I've just used it to quilt a simple placemat with straight diagonal lines. Can't believe it looks so good. If you are a long time sewer, I expect you've already got one, but thought I'd mention it in case anyone is just starting out like me.

That's bandy for me to learn, Rosiebee. I want to learn to quilt and have just missed some beginners' workshops at a local sewing machine shop. Is it just called a quilting foot? I want to start by making placemats.

Handy, not bandy.........