EQ8 Fabric Yardage Tip

EQ8 gives us different ways to estimate fabric yardage when designing a quilt.   EQ8 is the latest upgrade for Electric Quilt software. [no sponsorship]

A lot of my quilts have improvisational blocks or even large improvisational sections, like in this quilt shown below.  One of my challenges has been estimating yardage for quilts that have very scrappy improv blocks when I’m writing a pattern.  Here’s something I’m trying out as a ‘work around’.

Here’s the image for a lap quilt pattern I’m working on. This will be issued in a few weeks so be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

In this design of the quilt,  I used 27 different fabrics for the improvised top and bottom sections, solid blocks and the rail fence blocks.  EQ8 calculated how many eighths, quarters and yards for each of those 27 fabrics.   Since this is a scrap quilt, I didn’t need exact amounts of yardage—just a close approximation for guidance.

Here’s my short cut work around.  I created a 3 color version of the same quilt by simply recoloring all of the sections.  Here’s what it looks like.  Now EQ8 provided me with the amounts needed for the solid unpieced blocks (in white), the black inside borders and sashing and a total amount  for the rail fence and improv top and bottom sections (in green).

I assumed that the estimate for the green fabric might be an under-estimate.  There are a lot of tiny pieces in these improv sections–and no one is really going to try to estimate the sizes of all the pieces of stash fabric we pull out!  But, the yardage does give me (and my pattern users) a general place to start. Some quilters may use a smaller number of fabrics to make this quilt—so, having the total amount needed will be very helpful because they will probably be pulling fat quarters or 1/2 yards from their stash.

Final tip: EQ8 will now calculate your yardage if fat quarters!  Yahoo!!!

Stay tuned for the pattern—it will include 4 different sizes from Crib to King.

2 thoughts on “EQ8 Fabric Yardage Tip”

  1. I’d like to create an EQ8 generated quilt pattern, make corrections, and SAVE the corrected document for future pattern printing (with no need to re-create steps every time it’s reprinted.)
    EQ8 has been listing an additional 1/8 yard of (non-existing) solid fabric to my fabric yardage estimates! …and I can’t seem to delete that error. Might a Preference setting be at fault? Changing patch fabrics adds those additional fabrics/yardage to any previous estimate list…both old and new fabric changes appear on the list…grrr.
    I’ve spent hours attempting to recreate the very same quilt pattern…then eliminating all block fills…and then adding patch colors (instead of fabric choices) to empty block patches…but still have that same added 1/8…plus no distinguishable “yardage” estimates per each color choice(s).

    How can I override/substitute software generated, rotary cutting, miscalculations with my own numbers for accurate printouts?

    Does EQ8 have any work-arounds?

    1. Hi, I emailed you privately with suggestions–I’m afraid this is a bit beyond my capabilities to troubleshoot. However, remember that EQ8 is estimating fabric needs based on the math in the design and they note that it may or may not be exactly accurate.

      I always check by testing my pattern and noting amount of fabric that I actually used. I have found it to be very close. The ghost fabric has happened to me once or twice with designs I made with a much older version and then re-designed in EQ8. Their tech support can be very helpful.

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