When shopping for fabric or looking at sewing projects and patterns, it's common to see fat quarters. But what are these pieces of fabric, and what do you use them for? For crafters, the fat quarter is essential and makes projects such as quilting and patchwork much easier.
"Often pre-cut and crafted from 100 percent cotton, it is typically sold in a delightful bundle featuring a variety of prints and coordinating solids," says Paula Pfotenhauer, a pattern maker and owner of Jeaja Design Studio. "This textile gem proves ideal for projects that call for multiple fabrics, injecting a playful and creative flair into the endeavors of quilters and crafters." Ready to dive into your next project? Experts explain what this piece of fabric is and what you can use it for when crafting.
What Is a Fat Quarter of Fabric?
Fat quarters vary slightly in size, based on the width of the fabric, but typically, they measure 18-by-22 inches when the fabric is cut by yards or 50-by-55 centimeters when cut by meters. All of our crafting experts agree that this size of fabric is uniquely versatile and lends itself well to a variety of projects. "This cut is obtained by taking half a yard of fabric and then halving it again horizontally," says Grace Thompson, product manager at ChicSew. "The result is a square-like piece that offers a wider range of design possibilities compared to a standard quarter yard."
When purchasing fabric, it typically comes by the yard or meter. As it comes off the bolt, if you buy a quarter yard, the piece would be 9 inches by whatever the width of the fabric is. Similarly, a quarter meter would be 25 centimeters by the width of the fabric. That long piece of material is good for some projects, but other items require a little more width. A fat quarter solves that without needing to purchase a larger amount of fabric.
The Difference Between a Fat Quarter and a Regular Quarter Yard of Fabric
The main difference between the two is the shape of the fabric. "The distinction between a fat quarter and its traditional counterpart lies in the shape and creative potential it unlocks," says Pfotenhauer. "Unlike the slender strips of a regular quarter yard, which typically measure 9 inches in width and 42 inches in length, a fat quarter offers a different geometry, 18 inches in width and 22 inches in length, providing crafters with greater flexibility. This unique cut enhances design possibilities by allowing artisans to utilize more of a fabric's intricate print and the ability to creatively repurpose smaller scraps."
Because of the extra steps it takes to cut fat quarters, a fat quarter usually costs a little more than a standard quarter yard or meter. The additional cost is often worth it, however. If you need the extra width but not the length, fat quarters provide that without needing to buy a larger piece of fabric, spending more money, and potentially wasting more material.
Johnny Miller
Ways to Use a Fat Quarter of Fabric
These handy pre-cuts also mean you can skip the cutting counter because they're ready for you to purchase. Many fabric lines offer packs of fat quarters, so you can buy a little bit of each design from the collection. A single fat quarter bundle will usually give you enough material to sew a quilt top and still have fabric left over. Here are some of the most common projects where it makes sense to use a fat quarter of fabric.
Quilt Blocks
Quilt patterns frequently use fat quarters because their area allows you to cut many pieces. Lots of other sewing projects suggest using this pre-cut, too. "Fat quarters are ideal for creating diverse quilt blocks, as the larger size enables the inclusion of more intricate patterns and designs," says Thompson.
Appliqué
Beyond quilting, fat quarters of fabric are great for other sewing projects like appliqué and other patchwork. "The larger surface area of fat quarters makes them perfect for appliqué work, allowing for the creation of detailed and visually appealing designs on clothing or home décor items," Thompson says.
Small Sewing Projects
You can get creative with these fabric cuts by crafting all sorts of different smaller accessories, and you won't waste fabric in the process. "Whether you're making small accessories like pouches, wallets, or fabric flowers, fat quarters provide ample fabric for these projects without the need to purchase larger amounts," Thompson says.
Scrap Quilting
Scrap quilts are a great way to use up fabric scraps you have from other projects. "If you enjoy the art of scrap quilting, fat quarters are a fantastic choice as they offer a variety of colors and patterns in a single cut, allowing for a beautifully eclectic finished product," says Thompson.
Mix-and-Match Coordination
An art unto itself, use fat quarters to help coordinate colors and patterns in your next project. "Fat quarters are excellent for coordinating fabrics within a collection, ensuring that different patterns and colors complement each other seamlessly," Thompson says.
There are so many different types and cuts of fabrics, and if you’re new to the quilting world, all the new jargon like “jelly rolls” and “fat eighths” can be overwhelming and maybe a bit confusing. In this blog post, I am going to dive into the most common cut of fabric, Fat Quarters. What is a fat quarter? What is it used for? I will also go over some other common precut sizes and their dimensions.
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Precut fabrics are smaller pieces of fabric that have been cut to a standard size. Precuts, as they’re called, are very common in quilting. Many quilt patterns have been written specifically for certain precut sizes, with the most popular being fat quarters, fat eighths, and jelly rolls. Precut fabric bundles are a great way to build up your fabric stash and acquire a wide assortment of fabrics for future projects.
Precut fabrics are usually going to be standard quilting cotton. However, flannel is another type of fabric I often see in fat quarter bundles.
A fat quarter is 1 yard of fabric cut into quarters. A fat quarter of fabric measures 21″ x 18″. Your local quilt shop most likely sells individual fat quarters or fat quarter bundles.
The diagram below shows the dimensions of a fat quarter. You can see how a fat quarter and a regular quarter yard of fabric compare.
A fat quarter is different from a regular quarter yard of fabric, which measures 9″ x 42″. The amount of fabric you receive in a fat quarter vs. a quarter-yard of fabric is technically the same. The area of a standard quarter yard is 378 square inches which is the same area as a fat quarter.
4 fat quarters can be cut from 1 yard of fabric. Fat quarters are made by cutting 1 entire yard of fabric off the bolt, opening up the fabric to 42″ x 36″, and quartering the yard by cutting in half lengthwise and in half again width-wise.
Compared to a fat quarter, a quarter of a yard of fabric is long and narrow and can be less useable depending on how you intend to use it. The size of a fat quarter is closer to square-shaped (21″ x 18″) and is “fatter” than a skinny quarter yard.
A single fat quarter is perfect for smaller projects or for a single block for sampler quilts. Fat quarters and fat quarter bundles are an easy way to build up variety in your fabric stash. Single fat quarters can be a slight additional cost compared to purchasing a 1/4 yard of the same cotton fabric off the bolt.
Fat quarter bundles are a set of fat quarters from one collection of fabric. The number of fat quarters in a bundle can vary greatly. Most have 10-14 fat quarter-size cuts of fabric, but some can have as little as 6 or as many as 50.
If you’re looking for a bundle of fat quarters, most big box stores like Hobby Lobby or Joann carry a smaller variety of precut bundles of fabric. Because precut fabric pieces are tailor-made for quilters, most local quilt shops will carry a large selection of fat quarters and fat quarter bundles.
Fat Quarter Shop is an online store that has a massive collection of precut bundles including Fat Quarters (FQ cuts), Fat Eighths (F8), Charm Packs, Mini Charm Packs, Jelly Rolls, Honey Buns, and Layer Cakes.
Missouri Star Quilt Company is another online fabric shop that carries a large selection of precuts and bundles.
There are many quilt patterns that are described as “Fat Quarter Friendly”. This means the pattern is specially written for the use of fat quarters. You can find many with a quick Google or Pinterest search or find some at Fat Quarter Shop.
A fat eighth is half of a fat quarter. A fat eighth is 1 yard of fabric cut into eighths. Fat eighths measures 9″ x 21″ This is different from 1/8 yard of fabric, which is not a common cut of fabric because its narrow width makes it less useable. 1/8 yard of fabric measures 4 1/2″ x 42″ Both cuts have an equal area of the material (189 sq. in.).
Fat eighth bundles are just like fat quarter bundles, except that the fabric cuts are half the size. They are also a mix of different patterns from a single fabric collection and another good way to acquire a variety of fabrics.
Similar to fat quarters, there are many quilt patterns written specifically for using fat eighths. Fat Quarter Shop has a ton of them!
A jelly roll is a set of 40 strips that have been cut 2.5″ wide. Jelly roll strips typically measure 42″ – 44″ wide (the width of the fabric). Jelly rolls are often used for quilts that require a lot of strip piecing.
Layer Cakes are bundles of 40 10-inch squares. You can find tons of quilt patterns written specifically for these larger squares.
Charm squares are precut 5-inch squares that typically come in a bundle of 42. Small squares like these are perfect for fast and easy patchwork quilts. Want to know how many charm packs you need to make a quilt? Check out this blog post here.
Mini charm packs are smaller squares measuring 2.5″ x 2.5″ that also come in bundles of 42. The smaller size makes them great for smaller sewing projects like baby quilts.
Fabric Width is the distance of useable fabric from salvage to salvage. Most cotton quilting fabrics measure 42″ to 45″ wide. It is always noted on the label end of a bolt of fabric, but if you need help finding the width, I would suggesting asking someone from the fabric store. In patterns, the Width of Fabric is often abbreviated as WOF. The assumed WOF should be noted in the pattern, but if it is not, assume WOF is 42″.
Depending on several factors, pre-washing fabrics before cutting and piecing is a common practice for quilters. However, smaller cuts of fabric, like fat quarters and fat eighths, should not be pre-washed. The reason is that cut fabric (with a raw edge) frays significantly in the wash. This can lead to a large amount of fabric loss.
If your quilt pattern calls for using almost every square inch of a fat quarter, this bit of fraying can cause you to not have enough fabric to finish your quilt top. If you absolutely must pre-wash a precut piece of fabric, I would suggest sewing 1/8″ around the cut edges with a small stitch length to help reduce fraying.