Ok, I have a beginner question here. I've generally sewn clothing, but not really quilts. So, I'm accustomed to buying yardage. Are fat quarters a lot more expensive than fabric by the yard, generally? How should the prices compare?

Generally FQ are more expensive than yardage. There are 4 Fat Quarters in a yard of fabric. So if you buy 4 FQ at $2.50 each then you have paid essentially $10 for a yard of fabric.

They are a little bit more expensive to buy as fat quarters. But if you want to get a lot of different fabrics that are useable, fat quarters are a way to go.
I rarely buy fat quarters unless they are really inexpensive. I prefer yardage myself. I get a min of 1/2 yard if I don't think I will use it for much else. Mostly I buy a yard, if I really like it and it's a good price I get 3 yards and if it's a really really good price I get more!!!!

Personally I think fat quarters are more expensive than yardage,but as a beginner it might be easier to use if the pattern asks for fat quarters. I like getting yardage because sometimes a fat quarter is not "true"(18x22).
Plus if you buy yardage then you have enough in case of a mistake!

I am fairly a beginner too, and I always multiply the price of FQ by 4 to see how the price compares to yardage..generally, unless there is a FQ sale, yardage will be cheaper.

That being said, I do like and buy some FQs, I don't have a large stash and FQs are an easy way to add a little variety, especially if you like making small quilts, applique or scrappy quilts. I hate to cut into yardage for a 5" square, so I turn to my FQs.

I used to buy only 3 yards at a time, but now I have so much that I am now buying fat 1/4's.......unless I really, really like it and then I buy by the yard. Since most of my projects I do is applique, fat 1/4's work out great for me.

FQ's can be slightly more than yardage, but not usually by much (maybe 50 cents to a dollar), if I only want a small amount of a fabric (which I do more often than not since most of my quilts are scrappy), I will actually just buy half a yard of fabric. That basically gives me two fat quarters, but without them being cut apart so it makes it easier to do a larger strip or block of fabric.

Good luck!
Rachel

As others have said, yes, FQ's tend to be more expensive than yardage. Depends on what type of quilting you plan to do. Myself, I'm not into the scrappy look and don't really maintain a stash. I buy for projects only but I do over buy usually by a yard or better. This gives me room to straighten the grain of the fabric as well as have room for boo boos as we all make those! And anything left over from those projects is what I have for a stash for an odd block here and there for a swap or to try a new technique.

At some shops around here, they are higher and at some they are the same. Strangely enough, one shop used to have them for less. They were $2 each for FQ and $9 a yard for the yardage. But not anymore. I usually buy 1/2 yard cuts if I'm just stash building but I still frequent the FQ baskets too.

They are usually more expensive.
Depending on the type of patterns you like, some like the variation you can get by using FQ's :D:D:D