DIY Quilt Calcs - Help

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 08-11-2014, 14:06

I am using the DIY Quilt Calcs spreadsheet to do the number crunching for my TQ.

I am making a rectangular top quilt for this Labor Day weekend with a final dimension of 48wx78L and a baffle height of 2". The cut dimensions are inner(51x81) outer(57x87).

My "sewing margin" is set at 1.5". What is that exactly?

Based on the inner shell cut lengths, I'm guessing the sewing margin is the amount of material I have to sew up the edges (.75" rolled hem), but for the outer, there seems to be extra material that I'm not sure what to do with. There is 4.5" of extra material around the edge outer shell, or 9" total.

Here's the break down for one edge (totaling 4.5 inches). 2 inches for baffle height, 1.5 inches for seam margin?, which leaves 1 inch extra. I'm not sure what the extra inch is for. When I look at the formula for the cut dimensions, which is based on the whole not one edge, I see =((FinishedLength+(2*BaffleHeight))+2)+(2*SewingMargin). In my case =(78+(2*2))+2)+(2*1.5) What is the bold and underlined 2 for?

What is the difference between sewing margin and hem?

This is my first quilt, and I'm just not sure what I'm missing.

Any clarification you can offer would be great.

Thanks

**Boston** · 08-11-2014, 15:02

I'm not familiar with the calculator you are using, but here are my thoughts:

Sewing margin is the same thing as seam allowance. Basically how much extra material do you want on the edges, outside the actual insulated quilt space. So if you were to use a binding along the edge, it would be small, like 0.25 - 0.5 inches. If you want to roll a hem, and use it as a channel, you'd set it larger - maybe 2" (or 1.5, as you have it. Depends how wide a channel you want).

I am not sure what the extra 2" is for in the calculator. Top quilt's are pretty easy though; here's how I do mine (assuming you are using a draw cord closure, instead of a sewn foot box):

Inner fabric:
Width: 48 + 2" seam allowance for a 1/4"-3/8" rolled hem each side (no need for a channel) = 50"
Length: 78 + 4" seam allowance for a 2/3"-3/4" channel each end (foot box closure, and shoulder/neck cinch) = 82"

Outer Fabric:
Width: Inner fabric + 2* baffle height (2") = 54"
Length: Inner Fabric + 2* baffle height (2") = 86"

Baffles:
Space baffle's evenly along inner and outer fabric. No need to use a differential on a top quilt. Be sure your starting point is correct based on the seam allowances, and baffle height set above.

Use button's in the hem, or add tabs with buttons to make the foot box, and add tab's with button's at the neck end to connect the quilt around your neck/shoulder's.

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 08-11-2014, 15:07

Thanks, Boston.
I have all the baffles sewn, so I just wanted to make sure that I was dealing with a lot of extra fabric rather than a having some special folding and hemming I am not aware of.

I am planning on sewing the footbox, so maybe that extra material will come in handy when I'm attaching the plug at the end.

**c0wb0y_hubs** · 08-12-2014, 16:08

I am referring to the DIY Quilt Calcs put together by gt7599a https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...nt-Spreadsheet

I spoke with my mother-in-law about the issue, and she suggested cutting a small box out of each corner. Then, hemming the new edges together. Once all for corners have been done, the outer shell will form a tub. For some reason the tub design intimidates me, but it may be the row I have to hoe. Looking at te-wa's quilt, which is what the DIY Quilt Calcs are based upon, it doesn't appear that it has the "tub" design. Hmmm?