Important CUTTING CONSIDERATIONS FOR KITS

[Barbara B.]

When working with KITS, it is important to conserve fabric as you go. Save all leftover pieces to be used in future months when they are the correct size.

SOLIDS KIT: Only cut shapes exactly as called for in the pattern. DO NOT cut width of fabric strips unless the pattern says to. Becky told me she only expects fabrics to be cut to exact size each month. Each pattern piece is already "oversized" as required for foundation piecing.

If you decide to change fabrics or add new fabrics that is fine. It is your quilt and YOU get to decide. Just know with 1/4 yard cuts, as many of the SOLIDS are, you may run out of a fabric if you use it where it is not called for in the pattern. I have added a dark red to mine in place of the brown sashing as I prefer that. Adding more fabric is fine by me. That is your choice.

PRINTS KIT: This Kit allows for maximum design choice. There are more than 4 additional yards of fabric in the Print Kit. The smaller package contains the fabrics selected for the Center Medallion, months 1-3. These resemble Becky's original fabrics, from her stash, and many of hers are several years old.

Use the color photographs in Becky's patterns and General Instructions as a guide for selecting your fabrics for each specific piece. None of the fabrics have to go in any specific place. For example, there are a variety of Background fabrics--choose whichever you like for any given month. Feel free to use any of the Print fabrics anywhere you like in the quilt. And if you want to add something from YOUR stash, that is fine too. Each PRINT KIT quilt will be as unique as you, the maker, are.

Enjoy the Experience!

[Leonie D.]

Hi Barbara, do you know if there is enough fabric in the solid kits to allow for an occasional miscut? Also, I pre-washed my fabric and lost a little of the width (eg. eighth of a yard measures only 4 1/4 inches.

[Barbara B.]

There is not a lot extra of some of the fabrics, those used frequently. A few have more than enough, especially the 1/8 yard pieces, they are not used very often.
With the SOLIDS kit it is important to cut as carefully as possible. And save all the leftovers--I always use those first each month if I can.

[Susan W.]

Tip 3 in your blog suggests adding 1/2" to pieces. Is it better we don't add 1/2" but use pattern instructions as written? (using Solid Kit).

[Barbara B.]

The 1/2” won’t cause any problems but my suggestion is to start with cuts as written in the pattern. Those sizes are correct, you just have to be careful in placement and sewing. If that proves challenging, adding 1/2” can help. Not bigger than that with Kit fabrics.

[Pam G.]

Just thinking ahead, is there enough fabric in the solids kit to change out the block design in the borders? (Kind of like what you did in the first set of videos.). For example, if you don’t like one, can you repeat one of the others? Or could you do the same design in all the borders?

[Barbara B.]

There is NO guarantee that any changes made using Kit fabrics will have enough of specific fabrics down the line.
When I make a change I am aware I may have to add additional fabrics of my own later. That is not a problem for me, I am happy to do that.
Each border is very different so uses different amounts of fabrics in each. Some use several fabrics, some use only a few.
If you want to be sure there is enough kit fabric for the project, make it exactly as written in the pattern.
I hope this helps for planning purposes.