When adding quarter-yard cuts to your stash, do you prefer fat quarters (18" x 22" ) or skinny (9" x 44" )?

fat

I'm a scrappy quilter so it's usually does not matter:)

Prefer half yard cuts. But if I get a quarter yard it would be "fat".

Definately Fat.

this is one time when I think 'fat' is better than 'skinnny'

If I'm buying a 1/4yd, I want it fat for the most part. I don't usually buy less than a yard for stash building purposes, though.

Like me...fat! LOL
David

Originally it was the fats, which I loaded up on. I then realized I love making quilts out of 2.5" strips, so my fat quarters don't get used as much and are sitting on the shelf :( So if I could do it again, I think I would do skinnies. Or half yards

Prefer fat, but what I REALLY prefer is yardage....Yes....yardage....ummmm!! Thick folds of luscious fabrics...ummm....


Oh....sorry...I was beginning to drool!!! :shock:

Exactly why I prefer the half yard widths.

Either. I'm looking for the variety.

And from online shops that do offer it, I'm just glad to be able to buy twice the amount of different fabrics, do I don't really care which way it comes.

Unless I were doing something and I need a larger than an 8.5" square. And I never do. ;-)

it depends on what i plan to do with the fabric, sometimes i want the whole width of the fabric (skinny 1/4's)...sometimes i need wider-shorter pieces and fq's will work. also one of our lqs...charge ALOT more (by the yard) for fq's...it is much cheaper to buy the regular 1/4 yd piece....8.95 yd... 1/4 yd=$2.24...she charges $3.50 for fq's ($4 if batiks or flannels)
so i take that into account too.

I usually don't buy just a quarter yard, as I am not fond of scrappy quilts. I would buy at least a yard or two.

If I could only have a 1/4, then I'll take skinny. I like to have the width of fabric. Though when I purchase, I don't buy less than 1/2 yard, rather have a bit left over than not enough and find the store is out of what I'm short of.

It doesn't really matter to me, i buy whichever the LQS carries. Some of ours ask, when i order 1/4 yard from the bolt which i want, which i think is great of them.

I prefer yardage. I buy FQ for stash occassionally. Skinny 8th very rarely only if I need a smidgon of a color I dislike. I am a prewasher, so yardage and FQ hold up better then the skinny things.

it all depends on the fabric. if it is stripy then i like a skinny if it is just a lovely print a fat. but i really prefer yardage. I have a ton of fq's that I am trying to use or sell to make room for more yardage.

Isn't stash building with quarter yards kind of like saving for retirement with pennies? Yeah, you can do it, but it's a very long (and higher priced) road. :?

prefer fat, but am okay with skinny if it is a good price. But I tend to like more of a scrappy look.

fat

fat but I really like half yards.

it truly depends on what you like to make, if you like stars, 9P, etc that use mostly squares, then get fat...if you like strippy things, then go skinny

Frankly I follow Alex Anderson's rule of thumb, always buy 1/3 yard to allow for shrinkage and getting it square!

fat

I do a lot of scrappy quilts, and I buy 1/4 yd. skinny cuts all the time. If a quilt shop charges more for a fat quarter than a 1/4 skinny cut, I'll just get the skinny cut.

1/4 yd. cuts are far more economical and ready to cut into strips. They also store nicely. Everyone seems to love Jelly rolls so you get a double at 1/2 the price.

ditto

fat

Definitely FAT!

I would say skinny. I rarely ever cut a strip wider than 2 inches.

If all fabric were cut perfectly straight on the grain, I would really like skinny quarters. The reality is, it's not, and when you go to square it up, you end up losing significant portions due to poor cutting by clerks. Consequently, I like fat quarters for stashing.

How is buying one's fabric in quarter yard increments more expensive? I pay the same for 4 fat quarters as I do for a yard cut. Is that not your experience?

RST

Me too!

I used to buy fat quarters, but now tend to get 1/4 yrd skinny's. I like a lot of color in my quilts and I find the 1/4 yard skinny works better when laying out designs. I just ordered 50 1/4 yard cuts in purple and green batiks for a quilt I will be making, from Fabric Depot. Should be interesting. I haven't decided on the pattern yet.

Fat quarter, unless it is a print that runs across the width of the fabric from selvedge to selvedge.

I have learned to buy yardage - don't think I would ever buy skinny.

FQ's are much more usable for me. I have purchased regular quarters at the LQS only because they won't cut a FQ, when I just need a small piece for applique.

I do buy FQ bundles and really like them because I can add a variety of fabrics to my stash.

Skinny is yardage. It's 1/4 of a yard.

fluffy "fats" please

Fat, but I love anything that begins with the directions "cream butter and sugar." Especially pecan cake, pudding, cupcakes, pie, chocolate cake, ice cream...... Did I mention cake?

We are talking about cake, right?

That quilt/image in your avatar could have been made with 2 blue fabrics.

Wouldn't have been very interesting.

Now, if you happen to have 24 turquoise 1/4 yard cuts (fat or skinny) , there is nothing you can't do with that that you couldn't do with 6 yards of one fabric.

And it costs the same.

Which quilt would be more interesting? And which stash would be more flexible?

This quilt below (from 2001 - it was my 2nd) has over 150 different fabrics in it. All I needed was an 8" square from each piece. I could have made it all from 3 fabrics - one blue, one green and one orange. Would have been pretty boring, I think.

Also, this quilt that was posted today on QB:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-104065-1.htm - also could have been done with 2 fabrics - one red and one tan. It would hardly have the same effect.