amandaKquilts

**edit from original post, sorry to exclude the awesome gentlemen! ** Happy Quilting!

crafty pat

I buy mostly by the yard and cut down to what I need. I love fabric and can never have to much.

TeresaA

I've gotten some sale deals on precuts at places like Craftsy that I would consider close to a bargain (since I wanted all the members of the group). I've only once ordered smaller than fat quarters. However, in general full yardage is better priced, besides being more amenable to washing (I wash all fabrics because of the dye smell, since I figure something that smells so bad can't be that good to breathe in while cutting and sewing.).

If you need a super small amount of multiple fabrics, precuts are probably more economical. Otherwise, go with yardage.

Some sites offer full yards for a huge bargain. https://www.thousandsofbolts.com/ and https://www.whittlesfabrics.com/ come to mind

Cari-in-Oly

Connecting Threads sells their pre cuts for the same price as their yardage. A large portion of my stash comes from them.
http://www.connectingthreads.com/

Cari

QuiltNama

I buy and use them all. We have so many beautiful choices now days that it's hard for me to just pick one of two fabrics in a line, so layer cakes are a favorite of mine. I also search out layer cakes for I spy quilts as the variety is already there. That being said, if the fabric is on sale will buy a bit more and not on sale will get 1/2 yd to 1 1/2 yd. as I do a lot of scrappy type quilts. If you like less busy quilts, buy larger amounts of fabric.

Three Dog Night

I buy both, however I usually only buy pre-cuts when they are on sale. I follow Missouri Star Quilts daily deal and also subscribe to Block magazine and since I still work full time using pre-cuts saves me time. I do buy yardage of fabric that I really love or have a specific project in mind for or if it is a blender fabric. Can't wait to retire in the next year and start using up my stash.

colorfulom

I am a huge fan of fat quarters. I love scrappy quilts, and will almost always use 20 blues, for instance, instead of a single fabric. So a big stash of fat quarters allows me to have that kind of variety. Also, I really love cutting from half width of fabric rather than full width, since my space for cutting is usually rather limited (mostly by my mess, but that's another story).

Onebyone

I wish I had collected pre cuts more then yardage. Yardage is fine for borders, background, backing, and binding. With a pre cut you get all the fabric in the line. Very few shops carry the full line in yardage. I buy layer cakes and jelly rolls the most. Not only are baskets full of pre cuts beautiful they are very motivating! When you see a jelly rolls in a shop how do you feel? That's how I feel when I walk in my sewing room.

MadQuilter

The nice thing about precuts is that you get variety. I get jelly rolls or layer cakes when I want to have a piece of the entire collection. Otherwise I stay with yardage. I also have a lot of FQ but then I really like to work the scrappy look. Some patterns are FQ-friendly, but then - a yard makes 4 FQs (or 2 FQs with 1/2 yard left over).

Bree123

If the same fabric is available in pre-cuts & yardage, I typically buy yardage. I do a lot of appliqued baby quilts & like to use many different fabrics. Sometimes I can find what I need & just buy 1/4 or at one LQS evey 1/8 yd cuts. Other times, they just don't have as much to choose from on bolts, so I'll buy pre-cuts. However, as others have said, pre-cuts can really be hit-or-miss. I like Fat 16ths (9x11) but I've had some that were as small as 7.25x10.125" before trying to straighten them so I generally find it more economical to buy as much from yardage as I can.