Are Fat Quarters A Good Deal?


It would appear that everyone, including quilters, is reading labels and comparing prices in today’s modern world. It’s possible that you even did this in the fabric store where you were shopping.

If you want to get the most out of the money you spend, it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re purchasing the greatest product possible. However, in order to have a complete understanding of this, you need to be able to compare identical situations. Or, depending on the circumstances, yardage converted to fat yards.

Who in this world has never heard of fat quarters? They have been prepared for convenience, making it simple to acquire them. Due to the fact that they are typically rather affordable, it shouldn’t be difficult to find room in your quilting budget to cover the expense of a few fat quarters. But are they a good value for the money?

To get a complete understanding, you need to be familiar with the concept of a fat quarter. A piece of cloth measuring one-quarter yard in width is referred to as a fat quarter. However, it is not cut in the same manner as conventional cloth yardage. If you were to go to a fabric store and have a quarter yard cut from a bolt, the final measurement of the fabric you receive would be 9 inches tall and 44 inches wide. Yardage cut from the bolt is a convenient way to obtain lengthy strips of fabric when they are required for a project.

On the other hand, a fat quarter is chopped in a different way. You will have twice as much height, but just one-half as much width. Therefore, a fat quarter has a height of 18 inches and a width of 22 inches. When you compare the two in terms of price, the fat quarter may occasionally be priced a little bit higher than the other option. The reason for this is that the fat quarter contains a more substantial portion of the cloth.

So in deciding which is a better deal, you have to consider your intended use for it. Borders may be better cut from the yardage. Cutting a number of quilt block pieces may be more sensible from the fat quarter.

Other than money, there are other factors that go into determining a good deal on fabric.  If you plan to fussy cut the fabric, you need to consider which cut will give you more of your chosen motifs. This will vary from fabric design to fabric design. Consider how many times the motif repeats in the fabric cut.

Additionally, the size of fat quarters makes them stack easily. If you plan to bulk cut your pieces, they may be the best choice of fabric for the project. Stack up to five on top of each other and slice through them using your rotary wheel.  It is a great time saver which may be worth a little extra money.

The fats are not just reserved for quarters. You can get fat eighths, too.  From a bolt, an eighth of a yard measures 4.5 inches tall by 44 inches wide. Again, that cut would be great when you need long strips. The fat eighth is 9 inches tall by 22 inches wide.

If you cannot visualize your needs, take a copy of the quilt block patterns with you on your visit to the fabric store. Cut them out so you can easily arrange them on the fabric pieces to see which cut will work best for your project.

Don’t forget to take into consideration the grain of the fabric. It isn’t always as easy as turning the patterns so that you get to cut more from the fabric. You also have to be sure the fabric isn’t cut on the bias or your quilt pieces could be too stretchy to use.  It may not seem like a big deal at first, but if you discover the mistake after your entire quilt has been finished, you will have wasted a lot of time and fabric.

If you need help determining which cut will better serve you, ask a fabric store associate for help.

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