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Friday, March 8, 2013

Ask the World a Question...


Hi everyone!! It's Friday and this day is all about you. Every other week, on Fridays, we have "Find a Friend Friday" and "Ask the World a Question".

This week is Question Day...

If you're new to the Question and Answer post it's very simple...ask a question (any question at all) and my wonderful readers from all over the world will answer it for you!! Another reason why I love blogging...so many people willing to help and share their thoughts!! Thanks to everyone who asks and for all who answer. I LOVE IT!!



Here's How It Works...

Just ask a question in the comment section. Anyone who reads my blog from all over the world, can answer that question by clicking in the "REPLY " button under THAT question.

There are so many helpful people in the world who can share so much...some have blogs, and some do not. I thought this would be the perfect solution for everyone to ask any question and then we can all help!!

Just an FYI...when you are clicking "reply" in any blog comment format, you are not "replying" directly to that person's email address. You are just replying on my blog under the question, so everyone has to return here to see the answers.

Ask questions about cooking, recipes, crafting, sewing, blogging, photography, vacations in other countries or states, decorating, families, babies...anything goes.

Here's how it will work...
  • post your question in the comment section
  • everyone will read the question 
  • if someone has a helpful answer, that person will click the "REPLY" button right under that particular question and post the answer!!
  • that way everyone can read the answer too!!
  • this is helpful for some who don't like to share their email address or who are "no replies" and there isn't an email address to respond to 
  • just come back to this post to see if your question has been answered!!

If you'd like to read the other Q and A post we've had over the weeks,  you can click the Q and A link in the labels section. Today's post will be the first one you'll see, but scroll down for the others.

Have a great day everyone,
~Karen~


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66 comments:

  1. I'm starting patchwork and have been researching about to to get the scant quarter of an inch allowance right in my sewing machine.
    What is according to you the best method without having to buy any tools ?

    Thanks,

    xEva

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    Replies
    1. I use a 1/4" presser foot. You can also run a line of blue tape right in front of your throat plate as a guide. Just measure over 1/4" from your needle, then place the tape. Don't tape over the throat plate, as you'll still want to pop it open should you need to clean under it. I haven't tried this but have seen it done.

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    2. Hello Eva, One way to see just what "your" quarter inch is on your machine is to sew together two strips measuring 2-1/2" X 4". Use the quarter inch foot that might have come with your machine or use your general sewing foot and mark (use painters tape or similar) a quarter of an inch from your needle. Now sew your two strips together using the tape as your seam guide, take out of the machine, press (don't iron, just press) and then measure your piece. It should measure exactly 4-1/2" X 4". Make sure there is not a little pleat where you have pressed the pieced work as that will alter your measurement. Now what does it measure? If it's under 4-1/2" then your quarter inch seam is too generous. If it's over 4-1/2" then your quarter inch is too "scant" but if your piece measures right on 4-1/2" then you have a true 1/4" seam. So how do you figure a "scant" quarter inch. If your machine can move its needle to the right, then move it over one bit and sew another test. Usually only one move to the right will achieve a "scant" 1/4". If you cannot move your needle, then you will have to move that marker (painters tape) over to the left a little and use that mark to align your fabrics and do another test. Your machine throat plate may also have markings for you to follow but you need to test those as well. The type of thread you use will make a difference as well. Heavier cotton thread is quite different to a poly thread. You just need to do the test strips, perhaps using some different threads and make yourself a little swatch booklet and write down your findings so you can remember the settings for future sewing. Looking at your test piece, a scant quarter inch is just a smidge under a true quarter inch. I do hope this helps!

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    3. Hi, I recently took a class from Bonnie Hunter and she taught us her technique for maintaining your scant 1/4" seam allowance. I have been quilting for 25 years and it's the best one I've ever tried. I have no affiliation to Bonnie and this is not an ad for her; I just found it very helpful. Here's a link to the technique:
      http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/08/sewing-saturday.html

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    4. Thank you so much to the three of you. I'm sure I will be able to manage now and start creating my first little patchwork piece.

      I'm so grateful to you,
      Many thanks,

      xEva

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    5. I agree with all of the above. There are a few awesome tools out there that make the scant 1/4" seam allowance easy. The first one is called "The perfect piecing seam guide" and the second is called "Sewing Edge" by QTools. They work together to mark the bed of your machine with a scant 1/4" guide. You can see it in action on my blog: http://thecraftyquilter.com/2012/02/the-perfect-14-seam-allowance/

      Good luck and Happy Quilting!

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  2. I can't answer the question above, but I just wanted to let you know that "Ask the World a Question" seems to me a great idea! I'll be back again to read questions and answers....

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  3. I can't answer either, but I have asked many questions here and always get a quick helpful and friendly response.

    My question today is I am new to blogging and I want to put images at the top of my blog with the header IYNWIM any ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure if this will help, but I made my own header from pictures of items I have made, using this link: http://www.bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php I saved them to my computer, inserted it in powerpoint, added the name of my blog, then saved it as a single image. You can head over to my blog to see what I've ended up with..

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    2. Hi Donna,

      Welcome to blogging!
      I made my own blog header using this great tutorial

      http://www.memoriesoncloverlane.com/2009/08/tutorial-on-how-to-make-blog-banner.html

      If you wish to see my blog header you will find it at
      www.happinessiscrossstitching.blogspot.com

      Hope this helps!

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    3. If you want to use the basic tool from Blogger, just go to your layout page and click the edit button for the header section. You can add any image from your computer and then experiment with the look using the placement options given. You can also make your own like the ladies offered offered above or use one that I did here on my blog. Here's the link...it uses Picmonkey which is a great free photo editing site.
      http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-make-blog-headerpicture-tutorial.html
      Good Luck!!

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    4. Follow Karen's blogging tips to get a static header and use Picassa to make a collage of photos to make a header! Good luck! Kathi

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    5. Thanks for the replies ladies. some great advice there.I am going to try them out.

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  4. As a high school English teacher, I am curious if the general population believes that students having complete access to their cell phones during class time is a good idea. Should high school students have unlimited cell phone access during class time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely not! It's hard enough to get them to focus without the phones.

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    2. Not no...but hell no! They are supposed to be there to learn...how can they learn when they are talking, texting or playing on a cell phone. We have went way overboard with cell phones! The young people I am hiring today think it is their right to walk around at work talking, texting and playing on their cell phones. It's not! I am paying them to work....Every where you go people are on cell phones...it's rude! When I go visit, the person I am visiting will answer their cell phone and talk, while I am there! Whoa! Let me climb down off my soapbox....count to ten....calm down. Cell phones are probably one of the most wonderful and terrible creations today. But I am concerned about a generation that seems to do everything in school but learn...they can't spell, they can't add and subtract, they can't read...but they can text at the speed of light. Thank you for being an English teacher...we need more concerned teachers...probably shouldn't push the publish button....but here goes....

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    3. Absolutely NOT! They are there to receive an education not play games, text or surf the net. It is about respect and honor of the instructor, and other members of the class. Bottom line it is just rude!

      I also am a very strong believer that if your at work you don't use your phone unless it is an emergency, hello your being paid to do a job. I also would never, never use a work computer for personal use while at work, shopping, FB, surfing. It is black and white in my world!

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    4. As the mother of a 17 yr old high school junior, I say no. BUT, I do not think they should be taken away either. In light of things that happen in schools today, I like the fact that my student can call for help if the need arises.(God forbid!)I do love the face that I can find him while he is going about his after school activites. Martha is right. Cell phones are wonderful terrible creations.

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    5. When I am explaining something, I want my pupils to listen. And listening and socializing by phone is impossible! So phones in the bag, please! But sometimes they can use the phone to make a report of their experiment and send it to me at ones.
      And some serious students make their homework and use the phone in a good way, finding more information.
      Like working tgether, a phone can be usefull, or nothing more than social media, only taking the attention.

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    6. I have a slightly different perspective on the cell phone thing. My son is technology director for a community college and he explained to me that the cell phones now are more than phones but really miniature computers and if used properly area powerful tool for instruction. I agree that this requires new thinking on the part of the teacher but it's the way we're heading - no more textbooks in the classroom too expensive.

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    7. I worked in a high school of years and when cell phones came along, things changed for the worse. Now only cheating but everything else you can imagine.

      Take away the cell phones!

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    8. I will say that my daughter had her phone taken up in class one day for using her phone. She was texting me to find out what time her ortho appt was so she could get her assignments and be ready for me. Of course I told her to only use it at lunch and between classes, I paid the $10 fine to get it back, but I was glad that I know my kid was just trying to reach me and not doing something bad with it. I agree-no playing on phones when something needs to be tended to (class, church, dinner, etc.) For everything there is a time and place.

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    9. No... treat it like a workplace... keep it out of sight on vibrate for emergencies only!

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    10. Excuse me - isn't this "class time"? Cell phones can be checked between classes and turned off durning them.

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    11. I don't think cell phones should be out during class unless a teacher says, "Those of you with smart phones, what do you find about this in 60 seconds." At that point it is a teaching tool. I will say that if my son had not broken the rules five years ago and carried his cell phone into the school we would have had a big problem. My mother had died. We expected my son to leave school and join us for the afternoon funeral. The school went on lock down due to a bomb threat. They would not let him leave nor call me. So, his friends helped him hide while he called me with the problem. He never had it out during school other than that and was up front that he was going to be expelled if caught but thought it important. It was and he was right. THAT sort of thing is the only reason they need a cell phone during school.

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    12. I agree a million percent about no phones in class. They can be shut off during class times and turned on at lunch. I think they should have them for emergencies (sadly in today's world we have to think of that) but they shouldn't be turned on in class to deter cheating.

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  5. How do I go about starting a blog, I seem to get stuck on the server part. Formats, templates, etc. how do I know which is right for me?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am closing down a blog on blogger, and starting a new blog on Wordpress. While researching about Wordpress I came across a great blog called Blogging With Amy. She gives step by step instructions on how to start a blog. Lots of great videos too. A wealth of information about blogging.

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    2. Thanks so much Newton! That sounds like exactly what I need.

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  6. I am tempted to buy an Oliso iron. Any feedback on this. I've read here that some quilters loke the Rowenta Professional. I'd like some REAL reviews of the Oliso. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda, I bought an Oliso iron from a friend. She had won it , someplace, and didn't like it. So, I got a good deal. I really like it! It is a good thing that no one else sews in my sewing room tho. The little feet that raise and lower it REALLY freak people out! My husband, son and numerous other people who come in VERY infrequently, keep telling me I'm going to burn the house down. All they see is that the iron looks like its plate down. :::evil grin:::I have my iron plugged into a surge protector. I also have a lamp plugged into the same surge protector. When I turn on the SURGE protector, the iron AND the lamp come on. When I leave the room for the day, I know if the iron is off if the lamp is off. I use mine dry like Judy (see below) with a spray bottle of water if I need it. I had a small Rowenta craft iron that crumped out on me in 6 months. (like sewing machines..pretty much of a personal preference!..sorry so long!)

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    2. I don't know about the Oliso irons, but the Rowenta I had was awful and could have burned down the house as the cord wore away and started to spark! So never will buy a Rowenta again. That one lasted just over a year and it wasn't cheap. Oliso's are pricey too. I bought the top rated Black and Decker iron a few years ago that Consumer Reports reviewed. It works fine and after a few years now I have no complaints. If you like to keep your iron in the plate-down position like the Oliso, I tell you what I do is place my iron on one of those silicone ironed shaped rests. It works great and no need to stand your iron up as that silicone rest can take the heat without damaging your ironing board.

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    3. I learned there is a difference in Rowenta irons. Some are made in Germany some are made in China. The *Made in Germany* ones are MUCH better. I've had one of those for a couple of years now and really like it.

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  7. This is a great question and I certainly wish I had an answer. I can only say I was "using up" a Rowenta iron yearly - finally switched to a dry iron in stainless steel and bought a spary bottle. I am much happier with this and have not replaced my iron in three years. Judy C in NC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Judy about the spray bottle and dry iron. Most irons work better without the water in them as some spit and splatter and even discolor the plate, which can stain your fabric or clothing. I do have 2 irons I use. The Black and Decker I mentioned above is my DRY iron and I have an old Norelco iron I have had for over 15 years that I use as my steam iron as the steam works well in that iron and it has a Teflon plate. Some products that you use will call for a dry iron and some call for steam and this way I am assured I will use the correct one for the job or product I am using.

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  8. I love this idea of "asking the world"!!! I've learned so much and gotten great ideas. Thanks everyone.
    Now for my question, I "inherited" a dark leather couch from my son and his dog. The back of the couch now has scratch marks all over it. Any suggestions about how to blend the scratches with the dark leather?
    Thanks to everyone ahead of time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can you use something like "Old English" furniture polish or Pledge for leather?

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    2. Have you thought of shoe dye? They sell some that's specially for leather and you could just rub some over the scratches to see if they dye in?

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    3. AT the regional furniture stores in my area (Southern MA and RI) go the the Leather furniture area and they always have repair kits. It wont take the scratches away, but will dye the light spots

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    4. Thanks for the suggestions. All sound like they would work.

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  9. Hello! My question today is:
    When I´m sharing on the end of each post to my facebook page I don´t see the first picture that I insert on the post, just the logo of my blogue.
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the same issue, usually you can change the 'thumbnail' to something else, but its not the one's you're looking for. So what I do, is upload a picture to facebook, and just add the link to that specific blog post with a little bit of info... I too would have like to have had the picture of that specific blog post to run with the link itself...

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  10. Hello (a little history to help) My son and I sew civil war clothes for men and sell them. I do shirts and vests and he does jackets and pants. The jackets and pants are all wool. He may go through 3-4 layers of wool. He only uses the straight stitch, zig zag stitch and button hole stitch. His Janome has finally decided to quit after a year. (he sews a lot) My question is: Does anyone know of a sturdy and durable machine that would fit his type of sewing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm no expert but I have a couple of machines and I would look for something with metal gears inside if they even make them anymore.

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    2. I love to refurbish the vintage machines. IMHO there are many that are so well made they just don't destruct. However I usually have to tune them up - after the tune up they should go quite a while. I'd look for something cheap ($50 or so) like a Japanese 15 clone of a Singer 15 - they don't have a whole lot of value but they are good machines. Hint: the Japanese 15 or 15 clones have the tension on the end - not on the front. There are some other machines that have the tension on the side, too. You can Google search 'will the real 15 clone please stand up' start at the first page and read... Machines made for White can be a good machines. The high end older Kenmore, Montgomery Ward, JC Penny machines are good machines - do a bit of homework. There are tons of old treadles - if you refurbish them or have someone refurbish them, they sew rings around the new plastic wonder machines. There are people buying the CW era machines and rebuilding them to use. There are machines with metal gears and yes they are much better than the ones with plastic - the plastic gears and cam stacks tend to crack.

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  11. How do you add "Reply" to the comment section of your blog?
    I have tried and find it very complicated. Is it easy to do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought it was an automatic thing on blogger blogs. As soon as someone comments the reply button appears.

      Ah, I think it's only when comments are embedded. I noticed on your blog that the comments are pop up. Try changing your settings so that they're embedded underneath your blog post. Let me know if it works xx

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    2. You are correct Samantha, it is within the imbedded type of comment box. If anyone wants to change that...go to your dashboard, then settings, then post and comments and then "Comment Location". It's a drop down menu.
      Hope this helps.

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    3. YEAH! It worked!
      Thanks ladies. Really appreciated this and Karen I really like this form.

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  12. Hi! My question is:
    Has anyone shipped a pet internationally?!
    In a few months we -me and lovely husband - are moving home from Colorado USA back to the UK with our little Burmese cat, Molly. We have already spoken to Molly's vet so we are already sorting out vaccinations, inoculations and she is chipped. But I would love ask for any great hints, tips or suggestions to make her trip home (we've only had her since living in the States) as stressless and trouble free for her and us as possible!
    Many thanks in advance
    Sally

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe if pets are under a certain weight and size (including carrier) they can fly in the plane WITH you. Check with the airline, first!

      ~~Joanne~~

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    2. My husband was in the Marine Corps and we received orders from California to Okinawa, Japan. We flew a Doberman and Retriever on commercial air (we were passengers). We contacted the carrier and got very specific instructions from them that included the size and type of crate, how many "air" holes required (we ended up having to buy a 1" bit and drill additional holes), how old their vaccinations had to be (sometimes types can only be a month old, some types have to be more than a month old), and the weight requirements (which included the weight of the crate). I would call them and start asking to speak to a person instead of trying to find information on the internet.

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  13. Does anyone out there who does embroidery or applique ever use a Cricut machine to cut fabric appliques?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The cricut cutting blade is not meant for fabric... only paper and vinyl. Same with the Sillouette. Thin fabric may work on a very sticky mat but it will tear or shread when taking it off the extra sticky mat. Sorry!

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    2. I have not only cut material on my Cricut for applique, I have had great success. I do iron on a stabalizer every time, which will make it a little bulky but I just deal with it. I do use my thick cutting blade to make sure it cuts all the way thru. Also Cricut.com has lots of helpful tips for just things like this. I also use my sizzix a lot for die cutting, they too have a .com site and sell dies just for quilting. Hope this helps.
      Vicki

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  14. New to Blogging, I've just started my blog and did not realize that I had try to started one some time before unsuccessfully my ? is how do I link the two. Thanks in advance :)

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  15. I am a fairly new quilter who is taking classes and hoping to attend retreats. I have started gathering my "travel equipment" and am trying to get the best equipment I can that won't use up a lot of space.

    What is the smallest size cutting mat you'd recommend and can someone recommend a "travel" iron? I have a heavy duty one that I use at home but am looking for a smaller one.

    Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The mat I find most convenient for classes / retreats is a 12 X 18. As for the travel iron, I have a couple as I always have one next to my machine. I love the Rowenta Latitude. I also have a couple Black & Decker travel irons that are wonderful. Check thrift stores, I've bought a couple there for $5 - $8 (that's why I have a 'couple')

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  16. Sorry, reply does not work for me. For Sally, check out the Scraps and Threadtales blog. Sio and her husband lived in England for a couple of years and took a dog and a cat.

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  17. My question is ..where do you all buy your fabric online? I use to by at the big chain stores but honestly the fabric has gotten more expensive yet the quality has gone down. My style of fabric is more, country, primitive, neutrals, vintage. I have been shopping my local shops and thrift stores but would love to buy online as well. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi...I've bought fabrics from Hancock's of Paducah. Great fabric and service and the same for The Fat Quarter Shop. Here are the links.

      http://www.hancocks-paducah.com

      http://www.fatquartershop.com

      You may hate me later, because it's dangerous shopping for fabric. You just want to buy everything Lol

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    2. I buy from Connecting Threads, (connectingthreads.com) especially for their quilter's candy collections (solids, stars on solid, and stripes). I love it when they have batting on sale for 40% off. I also buy from their clearance because the already low prices is even lower!

      I always look at 5bucksayard.com and thousandsofbolts.com

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  18. Quick quilting/fabric question,
    When a pattern calls for "fat quarter bundle", how many fat quarters is that usually? I've seen fat quarter bundles with different amounts of yardage, so I was wondering what the traditional amount would be?
    Than ks and have a great weekend everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A fat quarter bundle is a sample of all the fabric in that one line of fabric, so I think the number of pieces is dependent on how many different designs the designers has made for that particular line. Like you mentioned, I have seen some with thirteen FQs all the way up to 33-35. Some of the bigger bundles come with duplicates of certain pieces of fabric, so be aware of that. With the varying amounts in each fat quarter set, I find it odd that a pattern would call for a "bundle". You could buy your favorite and it only has 15 FQs, but the pattern really needs more fabric.

      Does it give you a rough "Yardage" count. Maybe that would help with the bundle size you need. If anyone is wondering what a Fat Quarter is...Just take a yard of fabric which is 36 inches long by 44 inches the width of fabric. Then you would open it up and cut that into 4 equal quarters, so the average size of a Fat Quarter is 18 inches by 22 inches.

      With that in mind, if you buy a Fat Quarter Bundle that has 36 FQs, you are really buying 9 yards of fabric. 36 FQs divided by the 4 pieces (from the one yard) is 9 yards.

      Ok, I've talked enough!! Hope this helps

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    2. I checked out the fabric used in the pattern, and that bundle has a whooping 40 prints! That seems like a lot for only a twin blanket :s
      Thanks!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment...I just love hearing from you!