New Quilter - How to Decipher Yardages in Eleanor's Books

[quiltingchris]

Hello all, novice quilter here. Have purchased a couple of Eleanor's books, Victory Quilts and Egg Money Quilts, but must admit I am completely confused by the way the yardages are given at the beginning of the books. I'm used to a quilt pattern being written like a recipe, i.e. you need these different amounts and type of yardage to make this quilt (yardages given for each quilt at the beginning of the pattern). Are the yardages given at the start of the book the same amount for each quilt? Any help deciphering this method of determining yardages would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Quilter7]

I have both books, but have not made any quilt from them. I think it would help if you were specific as to which quilt you wanted to make and what size quilt. Could you edit and put that information?

[knitnoid]

I too have these two books, but since I seldom follow a pattern exactly, I've not paid any attention to how the yardage is laid out. The only one of her patterns I've paid any attention to yardage is Day & Night.

As for Egg Money and Victory Quilts, instead of expecting a recipe, think ala carte - or build your own combo. Pick a block size, the # of blocks you are going to make, a layout and a border. If your combo is pictured, then you should be able to discern the yardages for the background, border, cornerstones, and binding on the page opposite of the picture. In Victory Quilts, the fabric needed for the blocks is listed after the combos, in Egg Money, I think it's the other way around. Although we all know it takes less fabric to make 12 blocks than 20, only one set of yardage is given -- a number of FQs in each color.

Let us know which quilt you want to make and we'll help you out.

[kho]

I think Quilter 7 is correct. Which book and which quilt and the size you are looking at would be a big help. You can post it here or pm us. Just click on the envelope near our name and it will go to us in private.

[Pilot2b]

Hi CHris: I have a beautiful, eldery aunt who lives in Valdez.

Helen

[quiltingchris]

Gosh, thank you all for your responses. I haven't set my mind on which of Eleanor's quilts to make yet. I'm starting out with a beginner pattern from Fons & Porter March/April 2008 Love of Quilting magazine pg. 73, "Dave's Irish Chain", except I'm doing it in shades of blue and blue prints to match the bedroom colors. Maybe I think too logically , but I really like the way F&P gives their patterns in the magazine with the yardages/colors needed at the beginning, the instructions following. Maybe one day when I have more experience I'll get the hang of Eleanor's patterns. Thank you all again.