Imagine this.  You’ve managed to wrangle a spare ten minutes out of your day and now you’re standing in your favourite Australian fabric shop, right in front of your new favourite fabric line that your current favourite textile designer has just released.  In your right hand you’re holding a quilt pattern you’ve been eyeing off since last pay day and you’re itching to get started.  All you have to do is buy the fabric, right!  You turn the pattern over and *SHOCK HORROR* the pattern ONLY provides you with imperial (or depending on where you live, the opposite – metric!) measurements!!!!!  NoooOOOooooOOOOOO!

Do you:
A) Put the pattern down and walk out of the shop.  Your day is ruined.  You’re never going to quilt again. (Overly dramatic, I know, but we’ve all been there, right?)
B) Guesstimate how much fabric you’ll need because you’ve only got ten minutes, potentially putting you in a position where Future You is going to be very annoyed with Past You when they’re half way through cutting preparation and have run out of fabric.
C) Take the fabric collection to the shop counter, pull out your phone and confidently tell the customer service attendant EXACTLY what you want because you downloaded this clever little Wife-made imperial to metric conversions chart that gives you all the info you need!

As an Aussie creative who usually purchases fabric locally, and therefore in metric measurements, I know how annoying it is when I have to convert imperial measurements to metric on the hop.  That’s why, when I put on my designer hat, I always include both imperial and metric fabric measurements in my patterns.  I feel like it’s the least I can do for my much appreciated customers who also happen to live in countries where metric measurements are used.

I have noticed that there are many patterns out there that don’t include both options though, so I’ve put together a free downloadable imperial to metric conversions chart that you can save to the camera reel of your phone (high tech, right?!) for the next time you’re trying to convert imperial measurements to metric (or vice versa!) on the go.

The download includes commonly used imperial yardage measurements and the metric conversions, seam allowances and the measurements of fat quarters and fat eighths, which I am constantly having to google because I ALWAYS forget!  (I blame having children for my inability to retain important information.)

But, this little imperial to metric conversions chart is not ONLY for hobby quilters or sewists who are making a designer’s pattern.  I have printed this exact downloadable out and stuck it to my computer screen for when I’m writing my patterns.  It means that I only have to work out the imperial measurements for the pattern and then do the quick conversions based on this little chart!  So, if you’re a pattern designer, you could do your Aussie (et al) customers a favour and include metric measurements in your patterns for very little extra work.  You’re welcome 😉 

To get this little gem of a digital sewing tool, all you need to do is sign up for my Love Notes newsletter in the form below and *voila* you’ll be taken to the download url!  If you’d like to save this to your phone so you don’t find yourself in the above scenario EVER AGAIN, simply hold your finger on the image and save, or if you’re on a desktop computer and you’d like to print it off and have it by your computer just right click the image and save!

Now, tell me.  Are there any other important, oft-used sewing and quilting measurements that would suit being added to this chart?