Pzazz

Wow!!! I just google'd this quilt. 225 blocks!!!! What size are the blocks? How large is the finished quilt? Kudos to those of you that are making this quilt!!

Esqmommy

The blocks finish to 4 1/2 squares. The quilt itself, made by Jane Stickle, is 80 1/4 x 80 1/4, so it's a large little lady!

Esqmommy

The blocks finish to 4 1/2 squares. The quilt itself, made by Jane Stickle, is 80 1/4 x 80 1/4, so it's a large little lady!

Elle and others who are still debating...you know, you don't have to do all the blocks. If you plan to replicate the quilt, then you can't get around it, but you can make other versions of the DJ while staying true to calling it a DJ. Check it out on the internet..there are homages to DJ that incorporate 5, 10, 30, 50 blocks. More and less, you know what i mean. Just a thought.

Pzazz

Thank you!! At the moment, I have too many projects needing my attention, so I will just enjoy seeing the progress on here from those who are doing the DJ.

Donna Hall

I am using civil war reproduction. But I have seen it done in 30,s. I have always seen it as scrappy. Are you hand or machine pieceing? donna

kluedesigns

i'm trying for as much machine piecing as possible.

i'm sure i'll hand piece some applique and the harder seams because it will be easier that way when the pieces are so tiny.

BlueChicken

HOW much background fabric does it take? :shock:

sewsewquilter

This is my plan also.

kluedesigns

here's the general fabric requirements, i took these paragraphs from the software


Background Fabric
If your block background fabric will be different than your sashing, and outside border, here are the figures. (I belong in the "stingy" or "frugal" category, so I don't feel I'm calling anyone names here.) These amounts are also good if you want all your blocks to be done with the same fabric for the "coloured fabric."

Stingy: 7 1/3 yards
The "received lore" says a 6" square will get you by on a block as an average, and I would estimate an 8" square for a triangle. If you are really careful when you cut, this should be sufficient. Buying 44" wide fabric, you will need 6 yds 14". Add 10 % shrinkage to that, and you will have to buy 7 yards.

Normal: 12 yards
If you're not stingy, not wasteful either, I would suggest you plan an 8" square for the blocks and a 10" square for the triangles. This means 10 yards 32", + shrinkage 10 % = 12 yards.

Paper-piecer: 16 ½ yards
If you do lots and lots of paper-piecing, or know that you will waste a lot of background fabric as you go, aim for both the sqaures and triangles. You will need 15 yards + shrinkage = 16 ½ yards. I have estimated a "working-width" of 42" in the above calculation, taking off 1" on each side for shrinkage and selvedges. The calculations, naturally, are entirely different if you use wider fabric.

Background Fabric, Sashing and Outside Border
If your background fabric, sashing and outside border will be the same fabric, you will need the following yardage

Stingy: 9 yards 10"
Normal: 14 yards 10"
Paper-piecer: 19 yards

"Stingy" is based on the 6" square that lore says is enough for a block, and an 8" square for a triangle. "Normal" is based on an 8" square for each block, and a 10" square for triangles.
"Paper-Piecer" is based on a 10" square for both blocks and triangles. In both cases, I have added 10 % shrinkage.

Sashing and Scallops Only
For the way the quilt was made originally, ie ½" wide (finished size) sashing between all blocks, and ¼" wide (finished size) around all the blocks, you will need 1 yard 10".

To that, you will need to add the fabric you may or may not need for the outside border / scallops. My guesstimate (based on a 4" wide outside border, that may or may not end up as scallops, is that an additional yard (if same fabric as your background fabric) will get you there.

Block Fabric other than Background Fabric
Scrappy
If you plan a "scrappy" look, a quarter of a fat quarter, 9" x 11", will make two blocks, or a block and a triangle, with relative ease (unless you are a snip-happy paper-piecer, who cuts big, big chunks and throws the rest away).

Focal Fabric
If you choose to use just one focal fabric, I would say the calculation is about the same as that for the background fabric. You will need to add extra in order to get the single-fabric triangles (that would be about 1 ½ yards including shrinkage), but you will not need to add for sashing and border.

A really good piece of advice is to cut all the sashing strips and outside-border bits from the same piece of fabric. If you buy a 3 yard piece, you can cut the outside border (without any seams!), the looooooong sashing strips for the outside of the blocks, and between the rows, all the short sashing-strips that you add as you go.

Making the sashings from the same fabric will make your quilt "hang together" even if there are slight differences in the background fabric on your quilt.

BlueChicken

*falls off chair*

:cry:

Thanks for that.... between the software and fabric this is going to be more painful than I thought.