A little rant..........

Bear with me and I will keep it BRIEF!!!

You know it is going to be a bad morning when you try to save a picture and your system tells you that ACCESS IS DENIED to the pictures folder????   And that would be because?????  They are MY pictures after all!!!!   So - let's reboot this computer that hasn't been rebooted in a while - OK - OK - I know!!!!  Almost TWO hours later - OK - I must do it more frequently.

Bottom line - ACCESS is STILL DENIED to the photo folder. So NO pictures today.


Now here is my rant and like I said  - I will keep it brief. I am getting TIRED of pattern designers WASTING HUGE quantities of fabric. I mean - what do they think????   That quilters are MADE OF MONEY?????

Case in point -

1. A pattern that I am teaching - her fabric requirements - FIFTEEN yards of fabric for the top. Now you are thinking - this must be a HUGE quilt. Nope - the top measures 66 inches square. THAT IS DISGUSTING. Now I know she has you buy the number of different fabrics to get the variety, but you don't need that variety and you sure don't need a FQ of each of 50 fabrics. And there is some embroidery on the quilt - the finished block size of some is 9 by 6 inches. She has you cut pieces 15 by 12 to do the embroidery. Then you trim it down. Batting is 88 inches square. Not even a bad long armer needs 10 extra inches on each side. I calculated that you need EIGHT maybe NINE meters to do this quilt.

2. Another designer who focuses on paper piecing. This one also calls for FIFTEEN yards of fabric for the top. Now paper piecing does require MORE fabric than normal and you would think this is another HUGE quilt. NOPE - this one is 65 inches square. I went through the pattern and calculated that you need NINE meters of fabric. Who wants to buy SIX extra meters??????

3. Then this morning, I was on a web site of a company that does pre-cuts. The pattern called for a jelly roll which comprises strips that are 2 1/2" wide. Then the pattern proceeded to tell you to trim those strips down to 1 1/2". WHAT??????   ARE YOU KIDDING ME????????   That is TWO FIFTHS of what you bought that you are wasting.

And I could go on as another designer comes to mind.


All I can say is that MOST of these designers are SPONSORED by fabric companies. They probably do NOT pay for their fabric. I find it very DISRESPECTFUL that they expect me to buy these copious amounts only to have huge amounts of leftovers. I do not mind a little bit of leftover, but NOT YARDS and YARDS.

One of the reasons these designers can get away with this is that people DO NOT like to do the math. I rarely buy a pattern and the fabric in the same day. I come home, review the pattern, look at the amounts of fabric required (HEY - I want to spend my money on my other hobbies NOT buying more fabric and BIKES are NOT CHEAP). Although there are MANY quilters who have sewing machines that cost WAY MORE than my most expensive bike!!!!!

Anyway - that is my little rant for the day - I won't post any names or links to protect the GUILTY!!!!


Hmmmm - I think I should start a site called the Frugal quilter - how to REALLY read a pattern and get by with being frugal. Oh well - that is the pioneer in me!!!!!


On that note - I have some scanning to do (let's hope that works!!!)


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!