LTeachergeorge

Welcome, bhandy, from the Midwest! This board can answer any question you may have, so never hesitate to ask!! One thing about the pre-cuts mentioned (especially the jelly rolls, charm squares and layer cakes) is that they are all from the same line of fabric, thereby already coordinated. Layer cakes are like charms -- only they are 10 inch squares.

Linda from Missouri

Bree123

The only difference is the size. You can either buy yardage, where you go to the store (or shop online) and tell the salesperson how much to cut ... or you can buy pre-cuts. Pre-cuts (jelly roll, fat quarters, charms, layer cakes, mini charms, etc) are just those same fabrics, but cut in advance. The manufacturer or store cuts the yardage into different sizes that are frequently used in different quilt patterns.

Some patterns use exactly the sizes of the pre-cuts. Others start with the pre-cuts & then require further cutting (for example, you might make a 1000 Pyramid quilt by cutting triangles from 2 jelly rolls; it would decrease the amount of cutting you need to do & often helps with accuracy since manufacturers can precision cut 80 jelly roll strips with machines whereas people might not line the ruler up exactly right on some and be off by 1/8" on at least a couple out of 80).

Speaking of pre-cuts, as a new quilter what I found really helpful was making my first project from a pre-cut kit. All the pieces were already cut out for me & I could focus on picking my thread, sewing that "perfect" 1/4" seam, figuring out how the pieces went together, pressing seams & the many other details that go into making a quilt. Most kits just have yardage & quilters have to cut all the pieces themselves, but there are pre-cut kits out there & they are a great way to learn.

Ooohhhh... one more thing. The quantity per pack can vary slightly depending on the manufacturer. Also, for jelly rolls, the WOF (width of fabric) can vary even with the same manufacturer -- some pieces might be 2.5" x 41" and others might be as long as 2.5" x 45" -- so you'll want to keep that in mind if you plan to use whole strips of jelly rolls.

northerncreations

Welcome to the wealth of information board. This is a great place for inspiration, advice and information.

Ariannaquilts

Firstly welcome to the board! Next the biggest benefit that I find using pre-cut fabrics is also the fact that the whole line of the fabric is available to you, normally we wouldn't be picking up 20-30 different fabrics at a time (there are usually some duplicate for the total number 40-42). There are generally lots of the line that they make available in yardage so I can pick up the border, binding etc.

quiltingeileen

Welcome from Massachusetts!

jetayre

Welcome from Vermont.

luvstoquilt

Welcome from Illinois. This is a great board. You can get answers to all of your questions here.

crafty pat

Welcome from SC Texas.

Christilynn

Welcome from rural Oklahoma! I consider myself "new to quilting" as well and love the pre-cuts, especially jelly rolls. They save so much time and are a great way to utilize a whole line of fabric. You will love this board - everyone is so helpful and encouraging.

Thumbelina

Welcome from NE Ohio.