Quilter's FabriCalc

The Quilter's FabriCalc is a specialty calculator just for quilters.
I looked at the FabriCalc a long time before I bought it because
of its relatively high retail price of $39.99. Curiosity got the best
of me though when I discovered that I could buy it for about
$20.00 with a 50% off coupon I had for any item at JoAnn Fabrics.

Although it is much easier to use than it appears,
the FabriCalc is not intuitive. It comes with a well written owner's
manual that includes practice calculations of all the different functions.
After working through a few of these fully detailed examples I felt
confident that I could use the calculator easily.

A quick reference guide for the most common calculations is located
on the inside of the case, and there is a locking compartment on the
back that includes a mini version of the owner's manual.

Now that I have worked with the FabriCalc, I am impressed with the
wide range of calculations it is capable of. For me one of the most
useful features is being able to quickly figure out how many strips
need to be cut for a border. Yes I can figure this out myself but
it is super fast on the FabriCalc. :)

Another great feature: you can figure out how many strips, squares,
half-square triangles, blocks, or 45 degree diamonds can be cut from
a given length of fabric. Although the default width of fabric is 42 inches,
alternate widths can be set before you begin calculating for greatest accuracy.

Calculations can be made for either English or metric measurements.
Measurements can also be quickly converted from English to metric or
vice versa. I can see where this could be handy for those who also do garment
sewing and use patterns designed in the metric system.

In summary I think that the FabriCalc was a bargain for what I paid for it,
and is probably worth the full price for active quilters. It is a high quality product
that should give good service for a long time under a variety of conditions.