STANDARD PILLOW SIZES
STANDARD BED SIZES
FABRIC ALLOWANCES
BATTING ALLOWANCES

If you are already quilting up a storm, you probably have most everything you need to try the Hawaiian-style of quilting. If you are just starting here is a list of quilting tools and accessories. It's always hard to know if you will end up loving to quilt, but there are two tools that you should consider investing in - buying the best you can afford. Scissors and a good quilting hoop - much different from an embroidery hoop.

You will also need:

1.    a good quality, cotton thread, white or colors for your appliqué;
       usually white for quilting but you can also use any color you choose.

2.    needles for appliquéing and different needle for quilting. For
       appliqué #8 or #9 sharps; for quilting # 7-#9 betweens.

3.    straight pins - silk or dressmaker pins are good; also a thimble.

4.    a silver colored pencil or chalk for marking your quilting lines. Don't
       use a regular pencil as the marks are hard to eliminate. Erasing
       them can mar the fabric surface. If you have had good luck with
       the quilt marking pens then use those, although I'm always a
       little wary about them.

5.    a good quilting hoop to match the size of your project.

6.     in addition to to your appliqué, background and backing fabric, if you
        are making a pillow you will need muslin to back the batting for
        quilting. You will also need fabric and supplies - cording, zippers,
        extra fabric for ruffles, borders, depending on how you plan to finish
        your project.

7.    patience

If you are planning to alter the size or a pattern or design your own pattern you will need:

1.     visual aids, photographs, actual plant material, drawings, etc.

2.    paper, including transparent paper - large enough for your full size
       1/8th pattern. If doing a fusible technique, paper large enough for
       the entire pattern. Perhaps a card/file folder stock if you want to
       make a permanent pattern or stencil.

3.    pencils, erasers, rubber bands

4.    a protractor or 45 degree triangle

5.    paper cutting scissors - do not use your good fabric cutting ones

6.    colored pencils if making a multicolor design (optional)

7.    imagination

Probably the smallest you'll want to make a Hawaiian quilt pillow, with a simple design, is 12" x 12". Sizes then increase every 2" up to 36" x 36" for standard size pillow inserts.

Pillow sham insert sizes are:
Standard 20" x 26"; King 20" x 36"; Euro 27"x 27"

When planning a bed quilt, refer to the mattress sizes below. Determine the drop you want from the top of the bed to the floor or if you want more of a coverlet where the edges of the quilt drop just below the bottom mattress. Since mattress depths vary you'll need to measure.

My recommendation is that for a Queen or King size quilt that the shorter coverlet style used with a dust ruffle is preferable.  A full drop to the floor means that the corners at the foot of the bed tend to stick out into the room  three or so feet and usually end up getting rolled up or tucked under the bed.

To calculate size, or example, a full size bed quilt with a 19" drop to the floor would be 92" wide by 92" long, unless you wanted to have the quilt fold up over the pillows. You would have to decide if you wanted the quilt to tuck under the pillows and then fold over or just lay on top. In either case it would be best to measure to get the final measurement. To keep the quilt square you might rather use pillow shams.

If you are doing a pattern with a center medallion and a lei border, you can use the top of the mattress dimensions to design the medallion so it shows only on the top of the bed. So for a full size bed the pattern measurement on the straight 1/8th of the pattern would be 27" for the 54" width of a full size bed.

If you are quite handy you could make a tailored dust ruffle and appliqué your border or lei on that with the medallion design on the quilt.

Twin Mattress Size            39" wide x 75" long
Twin Extra Long Mattress Size    39" wide x 80" long
Full Mattress Size            54" wide x 75" long
Full Extra Long Mattress        54" wide x 80" long
Queen Mattress Size            60" wide x 80" long
King Mattress Size            76" wide x 80" long
California/Western King Mattress    72" wide x 84" long

Metric to U.S. Conversion
For measuring purposes, the exact conversion is as follows:
One inch is equal to exactly 2.54 centimeters
One foot is equal to 30.48 centimeters
One meter is equal to 39.37 inches

It's all in the measuring and dependent on the width of the fabric you are buying. You need to include the width of any seams you will have to make to join fabric sections together to make the desired size and for seams around the edge.

Don't skimp on background and backing fabric and try, for example, to squeeze a 42" background out of a 44" wide fabric.

When doing a larger wall hanging size design it is better to use one connecting seam in the middle of the appliqué fabric and one connecting seam in the middle of the background fabric rather than a full panel in the middle and just a few extra inches of fabric on either side to make up the needed width. When layering the two before quilting, make sure that the appliqué and background seams are positioned perpendicular to each other - e.g. one vertical the other horizontal. The seams will be less noticeable and easier to quilt.

For a bed quilt with two connecting seams, center the full size middle panel and add fabric, as needed, equally to either side. Do the same with the appliqué, and again, when layering the two before quilting, make sure that the seams are positioned perpendicular to each other - e.g. one vertical the other horizontal. The seams will be less noticeable and easier to quilt.

In any case, it is better to have to cut off excess fabric than try to add it so be sure that you are leaving enough extra fabric allowance, especially on the background fabric.

More about determining fabric sizes in the All About Fabric & Batting Section.

You can nowadays buy batting to the size you need without having to join pieces together. Always make sure that you have enough length and width. Hawaiian quilts tend to be square which may mean you will have to go up to the next largest size to accommodate your project. You'll have  some excess but just think of how many extra pillows you can make. More about determining fabric sizes in the All About Fabric & Batting Section.

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