Has anyone noticed that fat quarters are shrinking? I purchased some and they are labeled fat quarters and the label says 17" x21" - somewhere I saw 17.5" x 21" - I always thought fat quarters were 18" x 22" - hmmm... must be reducing the size but not the price.

I have bought them and noticed they are getting smaller too.
And the price of fabric is going up too. I was at Joann's and I saw some marked 12.99 a Yard and it was quilting fabric.

I'm glad I have fabric stored up. I just buy a little bit now.

Was at hancocks the other day and looking at there FQ and yes there making them smaller and charging more, they use to be $1.24 now there selling them for $1.99 for 17X21 ......I guess they didn't think we would notice?

So now I won't be buying FQ from Hancocks any more....

Check the width of regular fabric... usually it's 44-45 inches wide... they may be reducing the width of the fabric too.

they should not be labeled as fat quarters then, they are a quarter of 34"

At least I no wknow that I am not crazy, as I saw the same thing. JoAnn Fabrics is a real rip off some times, unless they are having a great sale, or you manage to accummulate the coupons at 40% off a regular priced item.
WalMart is now bringing back to their stores a very nice line of fabrics, qujilting notions, as well as all of the accessories, and a lot of the fabric I saw was the same as JoAnn's had for several dollars more.

I don't like it when companies (fabric, food) change the amount without labeling the package (at least for food) or somehow letting you know that's what they are doing. As someone said, do they think we are stupid? Why don't they figure out that we just feel deceived and ripped off?

i don't think there is an excuse for them to not be 18"...but the other dimension is dependant on the actual width of the fabric- since to cut a fat quarter you first cut a 1/2 yard...18" then you cut at the fold---so if the fabric is 44" wide you will have 22"...if the fabric is only 36" wide the fq would measure 18"x18"
40" wide = 20" x 18"...
the 18" is (should be the constant)

right, I can see maybe the fabric is not as wide, but a yard is still a yard. Come on, folks, we are not stupid. Maybe we should get them for false advertising. Or call the state department of weights and measures, obviously their yardstick is a bit off.

What scares me is pretty soon a yard will be 34" or 35" not 36 - and the price will go up not down..

sometimes the width of fabric is only 42, hence the 21 inch bit.

Do you suppose they've gone metric??

If they had gone metric, then the quarter would be larger, as a metre is nearly 40in, so a metric quarter is nearly 20 x half the width of the fabric.

If you watch at Joann's and some of the other big box stores, they cut at the amount you request. But how do youu know that the first edge is square...generally not. I have purchased fabric at several different lqs and they will add just a little for this reason. They want their customers to be satisfied and know there is nothing worse than to be a little short of fabric.

When this happens, perhaps if we 'nicely' voice our complaint of what we EXPECT a FQ to be & we won't be buying them any more they will WAKE UP!!!

We aren't a bunch of kids (some of us are REALLY senior citizens) & we don't need to be treated as if we don't know the difference in what we are getting. Just my opinion.

I just HAD to get in on this conversation. I took "fat quarters" back to Joanne's to get my $$ back as they were so far off. The sales clerk got the manager and I was told - "read the label" the small label says "approximate". I was NOT happy. She took back half of what I wanted to return!!!!! Makes life interesting!

Most of the pre-packaged ones are now called "fabric" quarters. I think this is their way around the fact that they tend to be a touch small. Our Joann's even has a disclaimer sign that basically says the measurements are approximate.

It been along time since I have seen fabric that was really 45 inches wide... but "fudging" on the 1/4 cut .. last I checked 18 inches is still 18 inches. ... maybe there is some "new" retail ruler .

Even though fabric width is 44-45 inch, that includes the selvedge so you lose up to an inch anyway. Someone has probably pointed that out to them at some time as being false advertising and this is the result. Have we really been getting usable 18 x 22 inch cuts? I will have to go check my older stash!

I understand the larger measurement varying some, as it's dependent on the width of the fabric. But the 18" measurement should stay the same!

When I buy fat quarters...I am generally planning on cutting into 2.5 inch strips. When fat quarter is 18 inches, as it should be, I can square up and get 7 strips.

I have seen this happening at LQS as well as Joanns. Our Walmart evidently does not plan to get yardage -- they currently just have a few of the precuts at full price,

Yes, I've noticed and my sugar isn't a 5 lb bag anymore either!!!

If you look at the printed end of some bolts you will see some of the yards are 35" not "36". Don't know what ruler they are using these days but it is not our standard "yardstick" anymore. I noticed the end of the bolts on my last trip to Mary Jo's in Gastonia because I was trying to make sure I was buying 100% cotton...

F Q's for $1.24 and $1.99? Holy cow -ours here are $2.79 and have been for quite some time.

It's crazy. I haven't bought fat qtrs in a while because the price is going up as fast as gas prices and I didn't see any that I just loved and was willing to shell out the $$ for them.

change change soon we will be getting half an auto but full price

If you check closely, the width of a lot of fabrics is not 44/45 anymore. I still have some 32"-36" in my stash. Purchased that at auctions.

I think the fabric companies are looking to shorten their width measurements because of the price of cotton.

I think thats the way it is with everything. Its marketing stratagy. Sugar used to come in 5 pound bags. Now, they are 4 pounds. But, the price is the same!

I don't buy fat quarters because I like the full width of fabric. But I can see that happening. It's like buying a can of soup, ever notice that they are smaller now, by at least an ounce? A half yard should always be 18" and a fat quarter should always be 1/4 of 36"x width of fabric. If we stop buying them maybe they would go back to the proper size. The old rule of supply and demand....

I very seldom buy fat quarters. Get them as gifts though. I make my own. If when I make something I have a 1/2 yard left, I make 2 fat quarters and put them in my fat quarter stash for the patterns I have that requires them and I know I will Love the fabric there this way.

Hey Folks, This is called inflation. Fat quarters are smaller and the same price. Sugar in 4lb bags and the same price. Have you noticed boxes of crackers or cookies, less in size, more in price.

This is exactly why I won't buy fat quarters. I buy 1/2 yd more of anything I buy and cut my own 2 FQ's. It's just like anything else we buy, boxes of cereal, candy bars, etc. They start by making the product or amt of product smaller and charge you the same price you used to pay for the larger size, then eventually, when you get used to the smaller size, they raise the price. That way, you get ripped off SLOWLY.

A couple of comments:

I have worked at a Hancock Fabrics for three years. I don't recall fats being $1.24. I do think they were $1.49 though before.

I have checked the widths of some fabric recently just to see and the widths are usually about 44". I was surprised as I thought it would be short of that.

I think the big box stores are very strict with employees cutting fabric exactly what the customer is purchasing. It never used to be that way. I personally (lqs or big box) will purchase a little bit more fabric than I actually need, like a couple of inches for straightening. I think people just don't know that you can buy say 20" instead of a 1/2 a yard.

I always make sure customers get their full piece that they are buying. Always making sure that if the fabric hasn't been cut straight prior to the current purchase, I will always cut from the shorter end.

Personally I think fat quarters are just fun to collect. When I am visit a lqs, I always find something to buy, even if it's small, like a fat quarter. I love the small shops and want them to stay in business!!

Exactly! I paid $3.29 the other day. If I really like the fabric I don't buy fat quarters anymore. There is more value in a full cut and then I have extra for gifts.

I've heard manufacturers are creating fabric at 42 inches. However length (unless precut by manufacturer) is a decision by the shop.

Those who find short fats should mention it to the shop. We should get the yardage we ask for.

the size was always "approximately" 18" x 22". Then in the early 2000 range, some maker's started making fabric only 40" wide, some even went down to 38". But that quickly failed, as it was more costly to set the looms at different sizes. Now however, some of the selvage edges are larger to accomodate MORE writing on them. Like the statements about it being used for personal use only, copryright, etc.
So the fabric might be 42", but once you remove the selvage, which is non-usable,(due the tighter warp) it makes the usable portion of the fabric only 40". The 18" part should NOT be changed. A half yard is a half yard and any shop selling you less than a true 18" is cheating you!

"New" "Improved" "10% More".....they all put it right in our faces when they give us something but seriously misjudge our intelligence when they take it away. Ice cream companies thought they would 'gift' us with a new design package - tapered at the bottom. Did they think we wouldn't read the 1.5 lt weight instead of 64oz? Our only recourse is not to buy their products and use our keyboards to let them know.
Soapbox stashed.

I was alway told a fat quarter is 18" by 1/2 the width of the bolt...I can understand if the length changes IF the width of the bolt is smaller but it should alway be 18" wide