Beginner Quilting Supplies: The Shopping List

The three cutting tools

Almost every piece in a modern pieced quilt is cut with a rotary cutter, against a ruler, on a mat. A beginner class tool list from Portland Community College asks for a good 45 mm rotary cutter, a self-healing cutting mat of at least 16" × 24", and, if you buy only one ruler, one of about 6" × 16" or 6" × 24". Those three sizes are a sensible starting point for anyone.

The 24" figures are not arbitrary. Quilting cotton is about 40" to 44" wide off the bolt, and you usually fold it once, selvage to selvage, before cutting strips. Folded, it is about 20" to 22" deep, so a 24" ruler reaches across it in one pass and a 24" mat holds it flat.

• Rotary cutter: 45 mm.
• Mat: at least 16" × 24".
• Ruler: about 6" × 24" (or 6" × 16") with 1/8" markings.

Thread and the 1/4" seam

Patchwork is sewn with a 1/4" seam allowance, and The Quilt Show calls a consistent 1/4" seam one of the most important skills a quilter can have. Every cut size in a pattern assumes it, so a seam that drifts wider makes blocks come out small.

For thread, the same class list notes that a 100% cotton thread is the usual recommendation for piecing. A neutral color, such as a light gray or beige, blends with most fabric choices, so one spool covers a whole quilt top.

Fabric, batting and backing amounts

The fabric for the top cannot be listed in advance: it depends on the block, the block size, the number of blocks and any borders. The quilt generator counts every piece, fits the pieces into strips across a 40" usable width and rounds each fabric up to the nearest 1/8 yard.

Backing is cut larger than the top because quilting draws the layers in. Missouri Star Quilt Co. adds 8" to both the width and the length of the finished top, which is 4" on each side; the generator uses the same allowance for both backing and batting. For a 50" × 65" throw, that means batting and backing of at least 58" × 73".

What to check before the first cut

Measure your fabric after prewashing, if you prewash, and trim the selvages; the 40" usable width in the yardage math leaves a margin for this. Check that the ruler markings you will use are the same ones every time, since mixing two rulers can shift a cut by a little. Then cut one test block, sew it and measure it before cutting the whole quilt.

Common questions

Do I need a 24" ruler or will a smaller one do?

A 6" × 24" ruler reaches across fabric folded selvage to selvage in one pass. A 6" × 16" ruler also works but needs the fabric folded twice or cut in two passes. Either is a reasonable first ruler.

How much bigger should batting be than the quilt top?

Plan it at least 4" larger on every side, the same as the backing. Some longarm quilters ask for more, so check with yours before you buy.

Where do I get the fabric amounts?

From your pattern. The free quilt generator lists the yardage for each fabric, the binding, the backing and the batting size for the quilt you design.