Quilters can place various colors and patterns next to each other to compare tones and how well they work together when the fat quarters are precut. It is far more awkward to try and haul down a few bolts of fabric and compare them. For this reason, popular quilting fabric is pre-cut into fat quarters by staff at fabric shops to make it easy for quilters to select their fabric. The perfect make to take to a baby shower - this design from Laura is the perfect first bib make for a new arrival. A fat quarter is the perfect size for this baby bib - so grab some animal print patterns or Disney fabrics to make fun designs that are sure to be a hit! 20. A practical fat quarter project

Categorize your fat quarters: Keep similar fat quarters together in categories e.g. plains, patterned, florals etc. This will make it much easier to find the fabric you need when it’s time to start your next project. Usually, a fat quarter measures 18 inches x 22 inches if it has been cut by the yard, or 50 cm x 55 cm if cut by the meter. This can then be an expensive way to build your fabric stash – trust me, I did this throughout my time at fashion school when I had to supply fabric swatches as part of my design process.

Why Do Quilters Use Fat Quarters?

Fat quarters are usually cut 18″ x 22″, though the size may vary depending on the manufacturer. This yields approximately 50% more fabric than a standard quarter-yard cut. The term “fat” is used to describe the increased width of the fabric. In contrast, a “skinny” quarter would be the traditional 9″ x 44″ (or 36″) size. What Size Is A Fat Quarter? Fat quarters are a great way to reduce fabric waste. Instead of buying a large piece of fabric and only using a small portion, quilters can buy just the amount they need for their project, reducing waste and saving money. Then, imagine folding this piece of fabric in quarters. Cut the fabric along these folds. You’ll end up with four pieces, or a bundle of fat quarters.

Buying fat quarters is a great way to try fabrics from different fabric manufacturers or to buy different patterns, but they can end up being a more expensive way of expanding your fabric collection for quilting projects. Their length is equal to the width of your fabric. For fabric with a width of 44 inches, a jelly roll will be 44 inches on the longer side, while its smaller side will always be equal to 2.5 inches. You can cut a fat quarter into smaller squares at 10″ x 10″ / 25cm x 25cm to create a layer cake. Layer cakes are great for creating small quilts or pillows as they usually come with a selection of fabric squares that are color co-ordinated.

Conclusion

Pre-cut fabrics are very useful and, in theory, easy to grasp. When you visit the fabric store, however, you may find yourself confused. Larger fabrics also mean greater waste. If you just want a small shape, you’ll have to cut around its perimeter. Most of the time, we cut bigger than we need to.

The number of fat quarters needed for a quilt will vary depending on the size of the quilt, the design, and the desired look of the quilt. The quilt pattern should guide you on the exact requirements. As a general rule, you can expect to need between 30 and 50 fat quarters for a double bed sized quilt.

9. DIY box pouch tutorial

I recently bought some gorgeous fat quarter quilting fabrics from an online store in the UK which was closing its doors – I’ll take a photo asap and will add it below so that you can see how beautiful they are. Is It Cheaper To Buy Fat Quarters? A fat eighth can be made by cutting a fat quarter in half along its width or by cutting a long quarter in half along its length, resulting in two fat eighths that both measure 25cm x 56cm (9 inches x 22 inches).