I'll never buy FQs again.
 

I decided to use some of my scraps and Fat Quarters for mug rugs. So as I press each one I am noticing how poorly cut the FQs are. Most of them I picked up at quilt shows so no one to yell at. I have pressed 8 so far and not one is squarely cut so that by the time I square them up I no longer have a FQ. So never again!!!

I will stick to buying yardage (even quarter yards) that I can watch being cut and if I am being shorted I will point it out before the cut.

Most of what I own are FQ but I have learned to buy the ones cut by the manufacture and only certain brands. Sad not especially since they charge significantly more for them.

Have you also noticed the difference in sizes. I made some mug buckets using fat quarters some were great but one I had to find a new material from my stash. I am not just talking about the width. I buy 1/2 metres or 1/2 yards it also ensures I have enough fabric when I fq is required and I have fabric for my applique stash

They can be very disappointing, especially if you're counting on using every bit of the fat quarter. Now that newer fabric has "shrunk" in width down to 40-42", the older patterns calling for fat quarters can leave you pinched too.

I also have struggled with shops cutting fabric recently. I think it depends on the person cutting the fabric,and whether or not they are quilters. My local quilt shop, here in the UK, Midsomer Quilting is owned and run by a lovely lady who has a passion for quilting and her cutting is always straight and very generous making sure that you get more than the amount you need, however other stores are notoriously bad, not just department stores, but dedicated fabric shops...they just don't seem to understand the importance of looking at the fabric before cutting it and then making sure it is straight.....with fabric now costing upto $20 (£14) /yard or meter ....I want it to be correct.

I've ironed over 80 FQs in the last two days plus some yardage.

When is a FQ not a FQ?

Traditionally a FQ has been 18" x 22". A yard is still 36" but these days quilt fabric widths vary from 44" wide to 40" wide (and who knows what the future will bring ~ anyone remember the bad old days of 36" wide?).

The stack on my table varies from over 22" (the person who got the other "half" was cheated) to less than 19" wide (hmmmm ... I'm the other person who got cheated with these, I guess).

Then there's the yardage. :( I bought half yards to have enough Black on White yardage for Bonnie Hunter's EASY STREET. Well, that was the plan anyway.

Names of shops are left out to protect the guilty.

Five of the half yards were cut nice and straight and were still nice and straight after pinking-washing-pressing. :) They were also on sale and at least two of the pieces were cut quite generously. Mahalo: you know who you are!

The other four half yards from a different shop were cut catawompus and were even worse after pinking-washing-pressing. I've had that problem from that shop before and I usually stand there watching like a hawk and point out fabric coming off the bolt that's obviously seriously misaligned. This time I was still searching for more Black on White fabric instead of watching.

Three to five inches off on either side after straightening the fabric just isn't acceptable. I can't afford to lose that much fabric that I've paid for. I'm saddened that the cutter didn't take the time to make sure I was getting what I was paying for.

It's bad enough to get wonky or undersized FQs or yardage at a quilt show or big box store but our LQS should be more attentive to their customers!

JMNOHO!

I noticed different sizes from a few that I've gotten from Connecting Threads. They weren't too bad but some were NOT as they should have been.

CT usually gives very generous cuts. If you contact them, I'm sure they will make it right.

It doesn't bother me if some fat quarters are not exact size but other precuts I expect to be exact.

I strongly agree, CT does give generous cuts. The first time I ordered from them I thought I had been cheated because some of the fat quarters seemed small. Then I counted them and took a closer look, and realized that if I end up with a piece that seems on the small side, it's because they ran out of the bolt at that point and GAVE me that fat quarter at no charge. I had ordered 20 FQs and ended up with 24 pieces of fabric.