Why use 1 red when you can use 20? A lot of times if I'm doing a quilt with repeated blocks instead of using just one fabric I'll use several. It gives the quilt personality. Fat quarters are a measured amount and I know I can pull four out and they're a yard.
I have done a couple of quilts that were really fat quarter friendly too. I pulled 10 yellow, 10 orange, and 10 pink fat quarters from my stash and made the queen size Orion Star Thangles quilt. Beats paying $200 for the kit! And I like my colors way better.