Layer Cakes and Charms... use them as is, or re-cut them?
 

There have been several threads lately about the (usually small) inaccuracies in the pre-cut fabric bundles that the fabric companies put out.

Which made me wonder... if you have a layer cake or charm pack, do you *count* on them being precision cut?

Or do you generally re-cut and trim them yourself, anyway?

I'm one of those blind faith people. If it says it is supposed to be 5" X 5" or 2 1/2" wide, I believe 'em! Hasn't come back to bite me in the keester yet!

ETA - I forgot to mention that I made a quilt recently using a Robert Kaufman Jelly roll and a I was going to use a Moda Bella Solid Jelly roll. There was a significant difference in the width of the strips so I just I just cut my own strips. I don't think I would mix different manufacturers

I haven't had a problem and I have used charm packs to make a quilt (around the time they first came out), but I know there have been issues with the Bali rolls being narrower than stated. Someone actually wrote an article on how to compensate for that.

I just don't worry about precision. I'm not exactly precise to start with so I know how to fudge things and make them look perfect on the right side. If you put the crooked part on the inside nobody can see it.

I've only used charm packs and they have been perfect. All were Moda or RJR.

I use them straight out of the package - usually only purchase moda pre cuts and love them.

I'm just a trusting soul. I kind of "eye ball" them & if they looked too wonky, I might measure them & take appropriate measures. So far mine have all been OK & I've ordered all kinds of precuts. Maybe one of these days I'll get a rude awakening but until then, I guess ignorance or trust is bliss!

if they are not precisely the measurements advertised, then there should be a disclaimer that they are 'approximate'
if the point of precuts is to save time, then i don't want to spend more time 'fixing' them
MHO

Amen. If you pay money for someone else to cut them,then you should not have redo their work.

I usually measure them first. Like the charms...5" might mean from valley on one side to peak on the other. I learned that the hard way. I made a quilt that used 5" charms and I did it in sections with a middle section. Well, the sides didn't match up and I found out it was because the 5" charms needed to be measured from valley to peak. So that's how I know and why I measure now. I never did fix that quilt. I used 3 charm packs on it and would have had to rip the whole thing out and I was so upset when I realized what I did, that I just folded it all up and put it away and figured someday I might feel like ripping it apart and starting over. That day hasn't come yet and it's been about 4 years now.

The old me would have trimmed them so they were perfectly perfect! The new me will make it work!

My son recently went to Hawaii and found a huge charm pack of Hawaiian prints, I measured them yesterday and they fall between 4 1/2 and 5 inches. I have the perfect pattern for then but now am afraid they won't work, we'll see. These were home cut, I always depend of the manufacturers' to be exact.

I don't typically buy precuts.. but when I do .. I measure them .. and if I need to I re-cut them. I don't do alot of large piece quilts , so at some point I am cutting any way... which is why I don't buy many layer cakes or charms.

Well, I'm just too trusting it seems. I had a charm pack from a major manufacturer and- so trusting- I just started sewing them together for a table runner pattern. Got to Row 2 and ah,oh, they didn't match up! Had to rip seams and turn some squares so they were all running in the same direction. From now on, no matter how much I trust the name brands, I will measure for "square" before I start piecing. (These charms were approximately 5" x 4.9"- close but just enough to not make a square.)

I count on them been accurate and they should be.

All the patterns I've made with pre cuts required they be recut for the pattern. I recently had an interesting experience. i purchased a Moda charm pack. I then chose a quilt patten and realized that I needed an additional pack, which I puchased from a different vendor. When I got the 2nd pack, I washed them both (swished them in the sink in warm water with a bit of detergent, then used a salad spinner). One pack shrunk, the other didn't. So glad I laundered them first!

I have bought charm packs from Connecting Threads and they have always been accuratly cut. I mix them with my own cut charms and they are the same. Good price and I get more variety in my scrappy quilts.
That being said, I bought some charms on ebay and they were not consistantly 5" and I couldn't use all of them.
I am a satisfied customer of CT and will buy from them again.

I do not buy them because I never know where they are cut and any other country does not use inches they have their own measurements so I would guess that is why they are different I never buy smaller than a fat quarter and
I cut my own also have you noticed with the fabric getting smaller or narrower I should say fat quarters are also getting smaller most are now 18 x 20 instead of the 18 x 22

I've assumed they were precise, I never even thought to check! But I only buy Moda, as I've read enough complaints about lesser quality precuts. Now I guess I'll have to start measuring.

I also use them right out of the package and mostly use moda precuts. Love being able to have the fabrics cut and co-ordinated.

Don't like the charm squares.
 

I have purchased several packs of them from different manufacturers and why pay good money for 5" squares when they are not 5" squares. Then I had to take my time to square them up leaving them somewhat shorter than 5". Nope! Not for me.

Moda have been very good. Joannes----NOT. Will not buy those again.

My cutting isn't really that good, so I figure they are about as accurate as I would be anway :)

I just use them as is.

Oh, I have some too, what are you going to make with yours? I'm all ears...

I purchased a 5 sq. in. die and a 2 1/2 inch strip die with my Accu Quilt Go. this way I have only myself to blame if I mess-up.

I'm disgusted with the idea of pre-cuts. Who wants to buy a charm pack when it contains one or two of every fabric in the selection? Or a jelly roll of the same? I prefer to pick the fabrics I want and coordinate them the way I want. I don't want a smidgen of each available. Then when it comes to a sashing or border or backing, back to the store you go. One of my favorite (used to be) It's A Stitch in Humble TX is going only to precuts...no yard goods. Lost my business...used to make road trips to go there. Had wonderful customer service and lots of choices...just makes me sick. Not happy about this at all. Forces you to go on-line....even though that is not my favorite purchase method. I don't mind ordering on line if I have first seen the fabric but I want to see more than a smidgen of it to decide. Hope all LQS aren't thinking of this....sad for me.

Lots of people...

It is okay if they are not for you- but they are VERY popular among quilters. It does seem very strange to not sell anything by the yard though. Does that quilt store expect everyone to piece their backings?

I only have experiernce with Moda 5 inch and they are precision in all the ones I use, my problem is that I usually have to buy extra ydg for some areas that use more than the 5 inch sq will allow. I cant pre wash to testfor shrinkage or color fastness and I still have to recut them for sizes on a lot of patterns, so when I use up my stash there will be NO MORE CHARMS!!!!! f have to recut anyway, I would rather just start from scratch looks like it goes faster to strip piece and fussy cut.

If we buy precuts, we should NOT have to recut them ! Otherwise, why buy them ??

I have had NO problems with Moda precuts, I've used quite a few of all types in the last 3-4 yrs. Only once with a charm pack, ONE square was folded in and miscut. It was still larger than 5" though, I just retrimmed it.
I have had several problems with charms and strips from OTHER makers, so I'm pretty wary of buying them ...

Well to each their own with precuts, I LIKE them - because you get a sample of every fabric in the line - and very few shops even carry most of a line !

But - I was also sorry to see It's A Stitch is headed in that direction ... it was a very good quilt shop, always had great fabrics and patterns. Seems strange they're ending the quilt shop, since they have the other 2 sewing-only stores ? It was a long trip for me, but I always stopped in there and spent a lot of $$ when I was up on the north side. They've lost me as a customer too, sure won't drive that far just for precuts and I don't need a new machine! too bad ...

How/Where are the pinked edge squares measured?

I would expect ALL manufacturers to have a similar cut measure EXACTLY (well, within 1/100 of an inch or so) the same -

If it says "5 x 5" - I EXPECT it to be 5 x 5 - and all of the pieces to be the same!

Some people are able to compensate for wonkiness - buy why should one have to???

Would a newbie even think about possible unevenness? All a newbie would probably think of would be frustration - and swear off quilting - after just plain swearing when the pieces didn't go together well!

I don't buy precuts because I prefer to wash fabrics before cutting - but IF I did, I would want them to be the size stated (plus or minus a very small variation - one can only get something as accurate as a material allows)

My Mom had given me a couple of packs of charm squares (from quite a few years ago - they had straight cut edges - and were mail order - ) one piece shrank down to 4.5 x 5 -a few of them became diamonds instead of squares -

I always check the measurements and recut if necessary. I have only found one jelly roll that had a strip that wasn't cut straight. So far my charm packs and layer cakes and the rest of the jelly rolls have been cut correctly.

I've been lucky so far, I think.
I have several sets of the 10" squares, all Modas, I think.
I have way too much fabric and never sure what it is til I start to use it.
My problem is that I've yet to see any really neat way to use the 10" squares. And yes, I have visited the Moda recipes.

You can't expect them to be 5 x 5 after washing. All cotton fabric is sold unwashed, and pretty much any cotton product will shrink, often more in one direction from the other (hence the diamonds).

Forgot to answer the question
When I order specific cuts: e.g., 2 1/2" strips. 10" or 5" squares, tumbler packets etc. I expect to get what was advertised.
If I don't, I consider the vendor dishonest and no longer deal with them.

I do love your philosophy.

I usually cut my own...I've received a couple of honey buns as gifts, but haven't used them yet. I have too much fabric in my stash (according to my standards) so I'm using up what I can.