Beginner Tips #2 – Precut Fabric Choices
Have you spent any time looking at websites that feature fabric for quilting? There are tons and tons of them out there – almost an overwhelming number. Even the major box stores sell fabric online like Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, etc. – who would have ever thought?! I still am slightly old school (well, and old too!) in that I like to touch the fabric, hold two choices together to ensure they really do go together, etc. but I do order a fair amount of fabric online.
Anyway, have you seen terms on these website that you have no idea what they are? Is it a new language of some sort? Here’s an easy primer of precut fabric that might help:
- Charm pack – 5” squares
- Stackers – 5” squares
- Stone chips – 5” squares
- Fat quarters – 18” x 21” squares/cuts of fabrics
- Turnovers, half-square triangles = 6” triangles
- Jelly rolls – 2 ½” strips
- Roll-ups – 2 ½” strips
- Pixie strips – 2 ½” strips
- Mini charms – 2 ½” squares
- Candies – 2 ½” squares
- Layer cakes – 10” squares
- Ten squares – 10” squares
- Patty cakes – 10” squares
- Honey buns – 1 ½” strips
- Skinny strips – 1 ½” strips
- Hexagons/Hexie Cuts/Honeycombs – various sizes (2”, 4.5” 6”) in hexagon shape
- Kits – everything you need to make the quilt TOP in one project (usually does not include backing fabric or the batting, but some may)
Who ever knew that these things existed?! Will you pay more than if you did this cutting yourself? Yes. Will you have thousands of choices in each category to choose from? Most of the time. All I can say is that it may save you lots of time and let you get into the actual sewing portion of quilting by buying precuts. We often use a mixture of precuts and yardage for our projects.
If I forgot any please let me know! I may have to do some research but we all NEED to know. ~smile~
