a fat quarter is one half (1/2) yard of material cut in half at the fold line.

so it is technically 1/4 of a yard---just cut differently than how we think of 1/4 yard when we purchase a forth of a yard at a fabric store.

4 quarters make a yard- 8 quarters = 2 yards- 2 quarters = 1/2 yd.
each 1/4 yard = 18"x22" 18"x22" x 10=2.5 yards. confused yet ? I'm always confussed!
Therefore with 2.50 yards you get to create a whole lot of fun!
I am not a math wiz so I have to figure out my own way around some stuff but it works for me. When it comes to math I kid you not my brain will shut down until I can convert it into what my brain will understand.
I am the poster child for ADD some days. LOL
T.Farmer

I would think a quarter yard is a quarter yard whether skinney or fat????????

Me too!

It would have the same number of square inches -

Example - say a piece of fabric is 44 inches wide

A skinny quarter (fourth) of a yard would be: 9 x 44 = 396

A fat quarter (fourth) of a yard would be: 18 x 22 = 396

Depending on how one would plan to cut the fabric, sometimes one cut works better than the other.

Example: I could get eight 5-inch squares from the skinny fourth - plus a lot of left-overs

I could get twelve 5-inch squares from the fat quarter - and there would still be some scrap left over

A FAT QUARTER is a yard cut in half both vertically and horizontally, so you end up with 4 pieces out of every yard. This is a fat QUARTER as opposed to 1/4 of a yard which is just 9" cut from a yard cross-wise.

Nice explanation Annak.

As a geometry and math teacher I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read this thread! :roll: I guess the only thing that matters is whether you can figure out what you need. :lol: (And you thought you would never need math...) :wink:

As a math student, it took me a while to figure out that equal and identical are not the same.

Example: Two dimes and a nickel equal one quarter equal 25 pennies
- equal but not identical

Same thing with the fat quarter and regular quarter of fabric

It is 2 1\2 yrds

I have to admit that doing "quilt math" is one of my favorite parts of planning a new quilt. I start with pictures of traditional block(s), then calculate yardage and layouts without a calculator or software...... just pencil and graph paper.

It really is fun - although I will use a calculator for some things - still need to know which buttons to push to get a reasonable answer