Crochet vs. Quilt – Who Would Win?
Posted by Jen Lopez on Jul 21st 2021
Sometimes, I crochet. When I feel like I need a break from all that is quilting – the cutting, the ironing, the piecing – I just grab a crochet hook and a ball of yarn, sit down on the couch to binge watch some show and have a little stitch. Crochet has some distinct benefits over quilting, but quilting has its perks, too. Let’s say you want to make a queen-sized something, what are the pros ‘n’ cons of each? Let’s have a look:
Cost
- Afghan – To make a queen-sized afghan or blanket out of a worsted weight yarn of decent quality such as Wool Ease® (80% acrylic and 20% wool), the good people at Lion Brand® Yarns recommend 10-12 skeins. At an average retail price of around $5, this would cost $60.
- Quilt – To make a queen-sized quilt of simple complexity and efficient use of the fabric, such as the fat-quarter friendly Atkinson Design Yellow Brick Road quilt, you would need a total of 19 yards of fabric. At an average cost of $11 per yard, you would need $209 worth of fabric alone, which does not count the batting and thread. So far, the afghan is going to be more than 3x cheaper than the quilt.
Tools
- Afghan – You would need a crochet hook that will set you back by about $2-3.
- Quilt – You would need a sewing machine, which could be as little as $200 or could run in the thousands. Minimally, you will also need a rotary cutter, cutting mat and rulers. You should plan on spending at least another $100 for those items. You’d also need some space to set up all this equipment, a desk and a table at least. This looks like another point for Team Afghan.
Speed
- Afghan – The entire point of crochet is that it’s a slow sport. Intended to be relaxing and meditative, crocheting an entire afghan would take many nights of Netflix.
- Quilt - Sorry, yarn-people, quilting is going to win on this one all day long. As quilting guru Eleanor Burns of Quilt in a Day fame would attest, its quite possible to make an entire quilt top in a day. Quilting and binding would take several more hours, maybe another half day if you really stuck to it. Quilts of modest complexity are always going to win the day for speed of completion.
Durability
- Afghan – Cozy as they may be, afghans do not last for generations if they are used regularly. One break in the yarn can unravel into a big gaping hole in no time. Yarn can pill with time, afghans are hard to wash and they are notoriously pet and children unfriendly in terms of longevity.
- Quilt – A well made quilt can last for generations. Visit to your local quilt museum and you can see quilts from the Civil War era or earlier! If you want to make an heirloom, make a quilt.
Lastly, in terms of appearance, that is purely a matter of personal preference. On that point, we’ll have to agree on a tie. It looks like there is no standout winner in the Crochet vs. Quilt face off. Clearly, we have no choice but to do both!
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