How Big is a Fat Quarter of Fabric?

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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What are pre-cut fabrics?

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.

What is a Fat Quarter?

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.

Is a fat quarter the same as a quarter yard?

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.

How many fat quarters are in a yard of fabric?

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.

Why is a fat quarter called a fat quarter?

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.

What is the purpose of a fat quarter?

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

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.

Fat Quarter Quilt Patterns

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.

What is the difference between a Fat Quarter and a Fat Eighth?

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

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.

Fat Eighth Patterns

Similar to fat quarters, there are many quilt patterns written specifically for using fat eighths. Fat Quarter Shop has a ton of them!

What is a Jelly Roll?

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.

What is a Layer Cake?

Layer Cakes are bundles of 40 10-inch squares. You can find tons of quilt patterns written specifically for these larger squares.

What is a Charm Pack?

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.

What is a Mini Charm Pack?

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.

What does Width of Fabric mean?

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″.

Should you prewash fat quarters?

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.