As I am more of a traditional quilter I don't usually buy fq,jelly rolls, etc. Why are they so much in demand? People go absolutely ga-ga over these things. why? How do you use them?

I don't get it either. But then I am not much of a scrappy quilt lover anyway.

I'm mostly a traditional quilter as well but I loooove all the jelly rolls, honey buns, etc. I love collections and they frequently have one or two of each of a collection. They are just so much fun to work with!
I'm a real sucker for advertising, in case you didn't know it. lol
Moda's Bake Shop is one of my favorite sites! :D

Me too! I always but 2 of the same collection when I buy them so I have enough of each design!

Nancy, I just got some Candy Bars- they are so cute!! lol

Pre-cuts are a big time saver for a lot of people. And all the fabrics are co-ordinated and ready to go.

haven't read the other responses yet...but i and q friend were discussing this just the other day. our thoughts....we too are traditional quilters...no short cuts or quick and easy patterns. we enjoy the entire process fr begining to end & would rather pick our own color combos...[we do miniatures mostly]...they [jelly rolls] are too expensive & we think we do better cost wise buying what we need for project in the color combos that more suit our personalities...not those of someone else. i have boughts few fat quarters...but neither of us have or plan to buy jelly rolls.

I just love Moda! Finishing up a quilt top I made with Moda Vine Country Jelly Rolls right now!

I was a slow starter on the pre-cuts too. But when I find them on sale, I buy them. I have learned to use them to my advantage. I am very traditional.

ditto Candace.

I was a slow starter too but have decided it's a good way to get an assortment of fabrics from one line. They also speed up the process since I'm not fond of cutting. They are a bit pricey but I look for them on sale.

I am a scaredy cat, nervous cutter when I go to cut my materials. It at times near exhausts me trying to make sure I'm doing it right. I have found something that has helped me a great deal with this other than resorting to purchasing those precut packages. That's those Shape Cutter grids from June Taylor. They are somewhat pricey but I know I purchased my grids at JoAnn's when they had 40% off quilting tools or I was able to use a 50% off coupon.

Here's one that I have, allowing cuts to be made in ½ inch increments :
http://store.junetailor.com/store/p-...cut-ruler.aspx

Here's the other that is a bit smaller and cuts as small as ¼ inch:
http://www.amazon.com/Shape-Rotary-C...ref=pd_sim_k_2

Cutting is SO much easier, accurate and less nerve racking for me now using these.

I do like to buy FQs at times, especially when I am looking for a gradient of colors. I lay FQs on top of one another, fold to fit under on of those grids and cut away. Viola, my own jelly rolls or charm packets! ;-)

What's a Candy Bar?

I think they are from Moda, 4 - 2.5" x 5" packs (half the size of regular Charm Packs) and come in white or dark chocolate! ha-ha

OK, Susie, I'm a little behind the curve on this. What are Candy Bars? Know you're not talking Hershey here.

The only pre-cut pieces I buy are FQ. I started my stash with FQ basically because they were easy to buy and get to know quilting with. I still buy a few - especially here on the board or if they're on sale at my LQS.

I won't buy cut pieces any smaller than that though because I'm a firm believer in pre-washing.

Get on the Moda Bake shop site hon!
I would take a pic but I'm busy with my Mom here :D
My sweet Mommy!!!!!!!!!!!

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_E_6dOZfGLrE/TK...031%5B6%5D.jpg


Here ya go! They have darks and lights. Of course I had to get both lol

Hello from another Missourian :)
I don't get it either, I have never bought fat quarters, jelly rolls, etc. I primarily make scrap quilts, but prefer to buy 1/2 yard pieces. This way I always have fabric leftover for my stash and the next quilt.

As far as I can see, quilters are willing to pay more for these pre-cuts because many hate to cut or find it difficult. When we have guild "hands on" sessions to make community quilts, very few will take on the job of cutting. It seems to be the #1 least favourite job. Choosing colours is also hard for some quilters so being able to grab a colour co-ordinated jelly roll ready to go is an easy sell. I never buy them or even fat quarters as I like to cut strips the full fabric width, stitch strata and sub-cut. I have now worked out a deal with one of our older members. I cut her fabric in exchange for her binding my quilts. It works for both of us.

I do buy FQs just to add some variety in my stash. I haven't bought any other precuts, though, simply because I haven't "needed" them. I would think about it, though, if I had a pattern that had been designed specifically for the particular precut, as it's an easy way to get a variety of fabrics without buying 1/8 or 1/4 yard of 10 or so different pieces.

Cutting for me and many others IS a big issue. At our quilting classes someone started bringing a set of four of those plastic bed risers that Walmart sells pretty cheap. We place them under the legs of the a table and that makes a difference to have a good height for a cutting table. I will be using a set I bought for the next major cutting go round that I do...

I rarely buy the precuts just because they are so darned expensive. But when they're on sale, I sometimes will pick a few up since I love fabric collections and this is an easy way to get them (again, only when on sale).

I have bought 10 inch squares from the swap meet and I just love them. I can make two large quilts out of them. Plus I got a very good price on them. I havent bought any jelly rolls. They look to small for me.

I think it's a few reasons. First, it saves time in ironing yardage and cutting. Second, you get a bit of everything from the line without buying yardage of each fabric. Third, you get a lot of variety, where you know everything matches.

I personally have only bought charms once to make stuffed baby blocks. I have never used pre-cuts (aside from FQ's which are just smaller pieces of yardage) for a quilt.

lots of answers but my 4 cents worth are
convenience
pre cut
requires a bit of creativity to use them and results are wonderful and amazing.
They make great decoration on the book shelf
Gives you a quick project when you need a break
I received two jelly rolls in an eschange and they contained a mess of different colors and prints. Looked like someone cut up all the stash they didn't like or was left over. I sorted them by light and dark and some color groups and made tube blocks and the results were wonderful. Now I have a chairity quilt that I otherwise would not have.

Because they are fun and the fabrics are fun and well matched.

It all comes down to matter of preference

Some like for the convenience of not having to cut- so its worth the extra expense

Some like it for the variety and cant afford to buy more than fq at a time

some cant rotary cut so precuts are a necessity

And some just think they are the best thing since slice bread and cost doesn't matter..

I use pre-cuts but also enjoy selecting my own material. Pre-cuts can be very handy!

There are patterns made for these pre-cuts. I have bought only a few, when I love a certain Moda line and can't afford to invest in a lot of yardage. I can always buy a few charm packs! There's something for everyone...

search Jelly Roll quilts on this site to see examples

I actually love to cut my fabric...for me, it's a zen thing...it relaxes me, plus, I haven't found a jelly roll etc, that really floats my boat... :)

Connecting threads doesn't charge any more for cut fabric than it does for yardage. It makes their jelly rolls very reasonable. I love Moda charm packs when I can get them at a good price. There's a lot you can do with a 5" square or a 2 1/2 strip. I did think the Moda Fandango had some unmatched prints in it, but sewed together, it was gorgeous. For me, it's a great way to get a variety living in a small town.

I have about 9 fq that my daughter gave me about 3 years ago and haven't touched them yet. I make all large quilts so there isn't enough of anything in all those pre-cuts to do me much good. The expense along scares me. I have yet to make a throw or a table runner or anything smaller. We don't all care for the same things, that's what makes the world go round. :thumbup:

I actually love the cutting process, but if I want a large diversity of strips jelly rolls are wonderful. It would be a big pain for me and for the store to purchase 2 1/2" of 42 different prints.

I have never bought any of the cuts smaller than a fat quarter. I'm just too cheap I guess and when I stop and figure how much per yard I'd be paying, I just can't do it. Besides, I LOVE cutting my quilts. Some of my UFOs are just cut because I was so anxious to cut into the fabrics but didn't have time to actually sew it. I'd love to provide a cutting service to anyone who wants their quilts cut for a fee, but it would probably be too costly to pay the postage!

My quilts are made for beds. Most of the fq and jellies, etc are made into smaller quilts for hanging or laps. My observation anyway. Way more expensive to buy material that way than by the yard.

There are lots of patterns out there using them. Quilts, tablerunners, wall hangings, purses etc.

I don't usually buy the precuts, but I saw a set of batik fat quarters advertized on a LQS website and fell in love with the colors. Bought the set, have it pressed and ready to go, but don't have a clue what to do with it. I ran a thread a while back and got terrific ideas, but just can't decide to cut into them. I'm not much on scrappy quilts (because I can't decide which scrap to use next to which scrap :lol: ), so I'm still thinking I'll use each fq to make a star and set them all on the same solid.

Guilty...love the color collections of FQs and Jelly Rolls. They are just so darn cute on the shelf. Came home with 8 FQs yesterday from LQS closing..just couldn't leave them there...lol. We won't even discuss the yardage that came home with me.