berryberry

We have a new person on the board who is a beginner. We have all been there, except this new person uses the metric system. All the quilt patterns I know use a 1/4 inch seam which converts to .635 cm. How do you measure that? So our metric system quilters, how do you do it?

QuiltE

I think many are "bilingual" when it comes to quilting talk and just go with the 1/4" measure.

AliKat

If she is determined there are several conversion sites on the net where you just plug in the standard measurement and then you get the metric conversion. It may be that where she is getting her fabric uses the metric system or maybe that is all she knows at present.

I don't know where to get metric quilting rulers. So, I agree with QuiltE.

YukonViv

We are metric in Canada, but other then buying by the metre my quilting friends and I work with inches, quarter inch seams, etc.

Our rulers are in inches and my sewing feet have the quarter inch mark as does the plate on my machine.

I'm used to it in my cross stitch life as the fabric is sold by its count, how many stitches per inch.

ghostrider

As long as the instructions, the tools, and the equipment are all based on the same unit, it doesn't matter if it's called centimeters, inches, or toothpicks. There's no need to convert anything.

busy fingers

Living in the Land of Oz we are also metric. However all the rulers that I buy are in imperial. I just work with the imperial measurements - of course for fabric I have to purchase in metric but I am never short. I just do a mental convert between the two to make sure that I have enough.

Tartan

Nope, I work in inches! The metric system came in too late for me.

dunster

All through school the teachers insisted that we learn the metric system because the US would be converting to it. Ha!

Anael

We're metric also but like the others I'm working with the imperial measurements too. It's too confusing having to convert everything. Some of the designs I own are in metric and I find it hard to do those

YukonViv

You are so right, I don't refer to my 1/8 measurements on my rulers, I call them nibs. No reason, just how I. Think of them, so when measuring and cutting I will be thinking to myself 2 and 5 nibs. (2 5/8)