Do you have an iPhone or an iPad/tablet? If so, there are a couple of free apps that are very handy to have.
I use Robert Kaufman Fabrics' QuiltingCalc all the time. It makes it so easy to determine how much fabric is needed. There is a backing/batting calculator, a piece count calculator, pieces to area calculater, binding calculator, border calculator, set-in and corner triangle calculator, and square-in-a-square calculator----pretty much everything you need. It's great in the quilt shop and would be so helpful when you're shopping.
Another one I use a lot is Block-Fab-HD. This app has a library of grid-based blocks to choose from and you can choose the number and size of the blocks you want, then BlockFab determines the amound of fabric needed. You can play around with the blocks in different layouts and varying colorways or try out different combinations of blocks. You can also work with individual patch shapes, which is useful for pieced borders or if the block you want isn't in the block library. BlockFab will determine the fabric needed for each color in the block as well as for each piece in the block. This isn't a quilt design app, but it can give you great ideas and makes it so easy to see how certain blocks look in a quilt layout or in different combinations.
Give them both a try! They're free and fun.
Keep cool----hope to see you soon. Lots of new fall fabrics and holiday prints are in and I've already made up several Halloween and Christmas items.
