The Penny QAL - How Much Fabric Do I Need?
Thank you for joining in with the Penny Quiltalong! Today I will be discussing fabrics - specifically how many different fabrics you need.
In the pattern, you have four different types of fabrics: A, B, C, and D. Fabric A will be the smaller squares, Fabric B will be in the middle, and Fabric C will be on the outer edge. Fabric D is the slim sashing fabric.
How much do I need of each fabric?
Since most of us are going to making the lap size version of the quilt, I will discuss that in particular. For the lap size, you will need 7 DIFFERENT fabrics for Fabric A, 7 DIFFERENT fabrics for Fabric B, and 7 DIFFERENT fabrics for Fabric C.
Ok, well you could technically use one fabric for each A, B, and C but you will need more than is listed in the table and your quilt would end up looking something like this.
You might be feeling like that seems like a lot of fabrics - 21 different ones for the lap size plus the sashing fabric. But notice that there is not a ton of Fabric D required for the pattern - this pattern focuses more on the prints/colors of your featured fabric and less on background/sashing fabric.
As it is written, you will end up with a nice amount of fabric variety to give your quilt lots of movement and wow your friends and family (that's why we're doing this, right? - I kid!).
Can I make the quilt scrappy?
If you have larger scraps, you could probably make this scrappy but your scraps are going to have to be pretty substantial. I would recommend using a single fabric for Fabric D and not making that scrappy. What you could do is pull a "scrappy" collection of fabrics from your stash and go for a hodgepodge look instead of a more curated color scheme.
Can I use fat quarters for the twin size?
Yes, but you will need 12 of each for Fabric A, B, and C instead of just 6.
Where are the instructions for using fat quarters for Fabric C?
I will be sharing those in the email next week. It will require us to construct the blocks differently. I much prefer making the quilt the way the pattern is written so I don't necessarily recommend going the fat quarter route, but I wanted to provide those instructions in case you need them. They will be included as a PDF download for subscribers of the email list.
Tomorrow I will have a list of shops that are carrying quilt kits for the pattern - I wanted to share this info early enough in the QAL that you still have time to order!