Today I want to tell you a but more about my new sponsor, Gwen from GwynHug, and her product, the Original How Much Fabric? Reference Cards. As a disclaimer, I didn't pay for this product, I received it for review purposes, but I am giving you my honest opinion. If this bothers you, please don't read this post, but if you have followed me for a while, you know that when I don't like something, I don't have ANY problem to say it.
So, what are these cards and what do they do?
The name says it all, really: these cards will help you figure out how much fabric you need to make a certain garment. They are both available as physical cards or in e-book format, measurements are Imperial OR Metric and they come in different sets (Women's Clothes, Plus Sizes, etc.). I have the Women's Clothes e-book ready to use in my smartphone.
Consulting these cards is easy, and very similar to using the tables on the back of a pattern envelope. The big difference is that here you don't have just one number, but three for every size: minimum, average and maximum. By using the sketches on the back of the card (or on the following page, for the e-book version) you can easily figure out if the amount of fabric you need falls in the minimum, average or maximum section depending on the garment you want make, and on factors such as length, fullness, presence of sleeves, etc.
There are five sections respectively for dresses, pants, skirts, blouses/shirts and jackets/coats, so basically everything is covered.
The number you get is thought to be as precise as possible, but there are are also safety margins that you can add to your number in case you want to be extra careful.
There are five sections respectively for dresses, pants, skirts, blouses/shirts and jackets/coats, so basically everything is covered.
The number you get is thought to be as precise as possible, but there are are also safety margins that you can add to your number in case you want to be extra careful.
If my explanation wasn't clear enough, here's a very helpful video to see how they work.
So, why not just using the fabric requirements on the back of a pattern envelope?
Well, I don't always never carry patterns with me when fabric shopping, so I'll often see a fabric and think: "That would be perfect for that pattern I bought last year". The cards not only help me figure out how much fabric I need, but also not to overbuy, which is something I always do, worrying that I won't have enough fabric, and end up with remnants too small for a project, but too big to throw away with a clear conscience. I have a huge pile of those, believe me.
I was very impressed by the amount of work and research behind the creation of these cards: the fabric requirements from 8000 patterns were used to give the most accurate estimate possible.
If you’re like me, and you frequently buy fabric with an idea of the garment you're going to make, but you don't carry the pattern with you, these can make your life so much easier! I also often buy pre-cut lengths of fabric, and the cards can help me figure out what I can and cannot make out of them.
If you’re like me, and you frequently buy fabric with an idea of the garment you're going to make, but you don't carry the pattern with you, these can make your life so much easier! I also often buy pre-cut lengths of fabric, and the cards can help me figure out what I can and cannot make out of them.
Gwen was so generous to offer two sets to my readers: one for a US reader (in yards) and one for an International reader (in metres.) You can choose between e-book or physical format and which set of cards you’d like.
How to win:
Go on Gwyn's website and choose the set that you prefer. Leave a comment on this post, stating which set you would like to win (metric or imperial) and an email where I can contact you in case you win.
You can enter from now until Saturday, May 18th at 11:00am GMT.
One entry per person. Winners will be picked randomly.
Good luck, everyone!
