Tonight I discovered fat quarters are different than 1/4 yards
04-27-2011, 03:22 PM
#91
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Macon, Ga
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It's definitely confusing, but think of it as a "fat quarter" of one yard rather than a quarter of a yard. It's a one ard piece with only two cuts instead of three. And, yes, it's quite different to lay out a pattern that way. Kinda like needing extra fabric when you cut on the grain for a dress pattern.
04-27-2011, 06:12 PM
#93
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Location: Orchard Park, NY (near Buffalo, which is near Niagara Falls)
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Originally Posted by pab58
Originally Posted by bearisgray
The length of a fat quarter yard (FQ) should always be at least 18 inches.
Not all fabrics are 45 inches wide - some are as narrow as only 40 inches - so the width of the FQ will only be half of the width of the fabric - so may vary from 20 to 22.5 inches.
Not all fabrics are 45 inches wide - some are as narrow as only 40 inches - so the width of the FQ will only be half of the width of the fabric - so may vary from 20 to 22.5 inches.
I mean... suppose the fabric is only 42" wide. If a store is going to cut one FQ that is 18" x 22"... what are they supposed to do with the other piece that's only 18" x 20"? In reality, the store has to make the cuts 18" x half of the width of the fabric, period. That's the only way it can work.
Perhaps it is just unwise to assume that you will get 22" width on a FQ. You should be able to count on the 18" dimension, though!
04-27-2011, 07:00 PM
#96
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 3,453
Originally Posted by Patricia Ann
What size is the charm sq, jelly roll and the layer cake thanks
Jellyrolls are 2 1/2 inches by width of fabric. When Moda started them there were 40 strips to a roll. Now days they are different numbers so pays to check.
Layer Cakes are 10 inch squares
Hope this stops some confusion.
Happy Quilting
Jude :D
04-27-2011, 07:01 PM
#97
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: WI
Posts: 706
Fat quarters had to have been the brain child of someone who kept cutting the fabric wrong then had to find a way to convince people it was right. Sort of like silly putty- it was originally a flub up but someone with creative insight realized it had potential
04-27-2011, 07:27 PM
#99
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,467
Originally Posted by Becky Mc
Originally Posted by Happy Treadler
Pulled our a very simple table runner that I may be teaching as a "beginner quilting" project at an upcoming retreat, and it calls for 3 fat quarters. I figured I'd make a sample one to take with me. Choosing ANY colors is always a big deal to me, as I always over-think it. SO I found a beautiful floral print I figured I'd use as my 'focal' point, then chose two other complimentary colors. Two out of three were 1/4 yard cuts, and until now I never realized that fat quarters are cut differently than just cutting off 1/4 yard. Am I the only idiot out here that didn't know this? The pattern's directions for cutting was simple with the fat quarter (of course), but I had to finagle some with the 1/4 yard, only doing so because I didn't want to change my mind again about fabrics. Man do I feel stupid. :shock:
My friends aunt got married, for her first dinner as a married woman, she made spaghetti. She boiled it for hours, and could not understand why it wasn't turning red.
I didn't know what a fat quarter was either, it takes time to learn all the quilting lingo.
Who knows what will learn tomorrow.
04-27-2011, 07:29 PM
#100
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Orchard Park, NY (near Buffalo, which is near Niagara Falls)
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Originally Posted by writerwomen
Fat quarters had to have been the brain child of someone who kept cutting the fabric wrong then had to find a way to convince people it was right. Sort of like silly putty- it was originally a flub up but someone with creative insight realized it had potential
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