I ordered some fat quarters on line. I noticed that they are not fat at all. I decided from now on, to just get my quarter yard cut at a fabric store. I was very dissappointed.

Just bought 30 fat qtrs ($1.50 each on sale) and found some have selvage over an inch wide!?! That really cuts down on useable fabric.

It seems that the consumer is always getting the short end of the stick no matter what we buy. It amazes me that gas and food prices keep going up and people keep losing jobs, homes and unemployment benefits. It also comical that eating healthy costs so much more than buying fast food or junk food at the store.

the fabric width is definetly shrinking ! Used to be 45" wide now you are lucky if it is 42" wide. I bought some the other day from JoAnn Fabrics and when I got home it was 39" wide ! This really messes with figuring out amounts that you need for quilts or quilt backs. I find this practice extremely annoying.

Okay, even if they are making the fabric narrower, 18" is still 1/2 yard. That measurement should not change! It's frustrating to make a quilt from my Fat Quarter quilt book and come up a little short. I think I'll just start buying 1/2 yard pieces. They don't cost that much more and I'll have plenty to work with and some left over for backing, etc. (But some of those fat quarters are so stinkin' cute and they don't have full bolts of that fabric!!! Grrrrr!!!!)

After reading most of these comments I measured the flannel I purchased at J-A in January and the flannel I purchased yesterday at W-M. All of the pieces, thankfully, are 44-45 wide - however some of them do have selvages almost 1" wide. Luckily I am making a flannel rag quilt and using part of the selvage will not be a problem. I agree with others who have said it will just be easier to purchase 1/2 yard and cut it to make fat quarters. I wonder if the authors of future pattern books will take into account the "new" measurements?

Aww gee... so I suppose it's air that's accumulating around my waistline?

I think sometimes the shortened fat quarter is for their own purpose or an excuse. I have had my fabric cut less than it was suppost to be when I was not watching. So when I made my quilt:: I was short and that became a problem. Some do it on purpose and some don't. I suggest you watch and/or ask for the size when purchasing. I purchased some fabric from Connecting Threads and found a few not there and they made it good. I like trading with them and its U.S.A. made. But glad to know to be on the look out for the problem. Thanks for the info. quiltapillow in Texas

In the Fons and Porter "Love of Quilting " magazine, they have changed the size of a fat quarter for their projects. It is now 18"x20". It has been that way since at least the Jan/Feb 2011 issue.

I rarely buy FQ anymore - but there's NO way they should be 17" ... even though the fabric WIDTHS vary, they should ALWAYS BE 18" L (x 21-22" w)
All those 1" they're shorting on really add up for the manuf. :(