Measure twice - And then the math......

Have you ever wondered why we buy fabric in meters and the measure in inches? 

Most of us remember in the 1970’s that we as Canadians adopted the metric system as our means of measuring things.  However our patterns, cookbooks and scales still show imperial measurements!

It’s really not so confusing if you remember that a meter is larger than a yard.  But what happens when you read a pattern and it calls for 1 ⅜ yards of fabric?  That's where the math begins.  

The easiest way to convert inches to meters or partial meters is to multiply your inch measurement by .025. (it is actually .0254 - but we generally do not need to go to the 3rd decimal spot on the measurements we use in quilting.) 

Example: 10 inches x .025 = .25m  .025 is your magic number!  (trust me - it works)

So…. 36 inches ( 1 yard ) is actually .9 meters!   So whatever you do - if you need a yard - do not buy a meter or your stash will continue to grow and grow and grow!

Working in a quilting store gave me the insight to realize not everyone understands the imperial to metric (and back again) conversions.  I cannot tell you how many people lined up just to ask me questions like how much fabric they might need if they were adding a 3 1/2 inch border to a quilt that was 80" x 80".  If they got to the number of inches they needed - they still could not make the final leap to determine how many meters (or partial meters) to purchase.

Batting and backing posed other dilemmas.  How much do I need if I use 45 inch quilting fabric?  Is it the same if I use wide back?  My quilt is 100 inches square - can I use 96 inch batting?

The answers may seem easy on the surface - but often there are multiple formulas we use to get to the amount of fabric we need to purchase.  And then we buy extra - so we have enough.  Buying extra quilting fabric can become very costly - especially when the fabric costs $20 a meter or more!

This is what I wrote the book - Measuring Success.  It has all the formulas you need along with easy to use charts.  You may want to check it out here. 

In the meantime I am giving you a chart below that is in the book to help you get started with the measuring madness!

---