And in Canada, because we have metres of fabric, our fat quarters are 20 inches x 1/2 the width of the fabric. No, to an earlier question, we do NOT cut off the selvedges before measuring. 36 inch fabric would result in fq's that are 18x 18.

Those must be the ones that JoAnns calls "fabric quarters" because they aren't 44" wide. 8-) The "real" fat quarters are the 18"x22" cuts. ;)

A one yard piece would be 36 inches by about 44 inches. Cut it in half both ways or fourths and you have 4 pieces that are 18" by 22".

Amen to that!! ha ha

I always wondered about fat quarters. I just order by the yard and I always have leftovers, helps build my stash.

Hope this will make it easier without all the maths.
A fat quarter is 1/2 yd/mt cut in half lengthways
A fat eighth is a fat quarter cut in half
A fat 1/16 is a fat eighth cut in half.
I hope this makes it all clear.

Hope this will make it easier without all the maths.
A fat quarter is 1/2 yd/mt cut in half lengthways
A fat eighth is a fat quarter cut in half
A fat 1/16 is a fat eighth cut in half.
I hope this makes it all clear.

So, I just may try cutting myself a fat quarter from 1/2 yard just for fun. Thank you for explaining it so clearly, Katesnanna. :)

Learned that lesson the same way you did. I had no idea they were different for a very long time.

I am glad you clariefied that for me too LOL.

It's definitely confusing, but think of it as a "fat quarter" of one yard rather than a quarter of a yard. It's a one ard piece with only two cuts instead of three. And, yes, it's quite different to lay out a pattern that way. Kinda like needing extra fabric when you cut on the grain for a dress pattern.

I think it's a conspiracy between the fabric sellers and the pattern makers to rake in more money.

There are a LOT of fabrics that are not quite 44" wide. So FQs of those fabrics will be 18" long but not quite 22" wide. It doesn't make them any less "real".

I mean... suppose the fabric is only 42" wide. If a store is going to cut one FQ that is 18" x 22"... what are they supposed to do with the other piece that's only 18" x 20"? In reality, the store has to make the cuts 18" x half of the width of the fabric, period. That's the only way it can work.

Perhaps it is just unwise to assume that you will get 22" width on a FQ. You should be able to count on the 18" dimension, though!

I've noticed recently they ask if you want linear cut or fat quarter. I didn't know the difference before but that helps me think straight.

What size is the charm sq, jelly roll and the layer cake thanks

Charm Squares are usually 5 inches square

Jellyrolls are 2 1/2 inches by width of fabric. When Moda started them there were 40 strips to a roll. Now days they are different numbers so pays to check.

Layer Cakes are 10 inch squares

Hope this stops some confusion.

Happy Quilting
Jude :D

Fat quarters had to have been the brain child of someone who kept cutting the fabric wrong then had to find a way to convince people it was right. Sort of like silly putty- it was originally a flub up but someone with creative insight realized it had potential

Sorry about double posting. Having some trouble.

Funny story to go with the spaghetti story.
My friends aunt got married, for her first dinner as a married woman, she made spaghetti. She boiled it for hours, and could not understand why it wasn't turning red.

I didn't know what a fat quarter was either, it takes time to learn all the quilting lingo.
Who knows what will learn tomorrow.

I thought they were started because sometimes you need a single piece that is more square than skinny. Say, for the back of a throw pillow.

My husband who is a NON quilter is the one who broke the news to me that even though it isn't cut the same it's still a 1/4 yard of fabric, so I guess I had the opposite problem! I didn't think they were the same "amount" of fabric becuase the dimensions were different!

I thought they were started because sometimes you need a single piece that is more square than skinny. Say, for the back of a throw pillow.[/quote]

This sounds more like it.

Sorry about multiple posts

Sorry about multiple posts

I had to look at a FQ all laid out to appreciate the difference from a 1/4 yd. cut.

My husband had a favorite question for my 3 kids when they were young..."Which weighs more, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?" They all were stumped the first time, but we talked these kinds of things over on long car trips. So, second follow-up question is "Which ton (bricks or feathers) would take up more space?" I am pretty sure they all probably tried this out on their friends as well. This is so funny, it really goes back to the idea that kids should do EVERY "story problem" in the math books; this is where the math has to make common sense in application.

I think I learned about FQ's about 3 years ago...didn't know why they called them FAT, & since I only bought full yards, I figured it didn't really matter to me. Now, I am at the stage where I want to get involved in swaps & some quick quilt patterns calling for FQ's, so it's good to know just the same.

To Happy Treadler: Don't be embarrassed, they didn't teach quilting in school, we're all out here getting it all in bits & pieces. I am a self-taught sewer, didn't have any of it through school; I'm sure there is still PLENTY I don't know. It's a shame too that the schools in our area have almost eliminated sewing, from all but maybe 2 years in high school. I won't count on that being there when my DD gets there in 3 years; with all the budget cuts. I really hope each of you look around to see if there is a young person around you who you might share your sewing knowledge with; I think it's more valuable than ever.

learn something new every day.

So many things to learn-- J

LOVE IT!

boy, am I glad I am not the only one who used to confuse the fat quarters vs. a quarter yard of material. Took me awhile but I finally got it down. You are not alone in the mistake.

ok, i too am confused. I just opened a piece of fabric that I bought as a fat quarter. the piece of fabric is 18x22. Did i get (1) fat quarter or was i riped off.

The 18" should always be 18" (1/2 of a yard). The 22" may vary a little because the width of fabric varies a little. So no, you have not been ripped off. See my smiley face? :-D

The spaghetti story reminds me of a story when my DD was just a little thing, about 3 or 4 years old. She and a friend came in to ask for a graham cracker for a snack. I gave them each a square of a graham cracker and my daughter asked if they could have two crackers. I told her no, that one was enough for right now. As they were walking out onto the porch, I heard DD whisper to her friend - "Let's break our crackers in half! THEN we will have two crackers!"

Love it! :-D