The Ultimate Guide to Precut Fabric
New to quilting? Then you'll love this back to basics quilting guide on precut fabric!
Any quilter or sewing enthusiast knows that purchasing fabric can easily become very expensive. How many times have you found a gorgeous fabric that you're dying to use, only to find that it's sadly beyond your budget? That's why so many quilters turn to precut fabrics. Precuts are typically much more budget-friendly than buying individual yards of fabric and come with cute prints and patterns in gorgeous colors. The best part about precuts is that it's incredibly easy to use them in quilt patterns and projects; smaller precuts like charm packs are great for patterns that require HSTs (half-square triangles), while larger precuts like jelly rolls and layer cakes are excellent for strip quilts.
But if you're new to quilting, it can be hard to keep track of all of the different precuts, especially those lovely precuts with fun dessert names. If you can never keep track of the difference between a layer cake or a jelly roll, then never fear, because FaveQuilts is here to save the day with our ultimate guide to precut fabrics. From common precuts like charm packs to lesser known precuts like jolly bars, we've created a useful guide to keeping your precuts straight, and have added a few of our favorite precut patterns as well. Here's wishing you happy quilting!
Do you love quilting with charm packs? Then you'll love our list of charming charm pack quilt patterns!
Our Ultimate Guide to Precuts
If you're overwhelmed with all of the different types of precut fabrics, then sit back and relax because FaveQuilts is here to save the day! Our guide to precuts breaks down each major style of precut fabric, from charm squares to layer cakes, so that you can confidentally find the right type of precut for your next quilting project.
Precuts 101
Steer clear of fabric shopping anxiety with this guide to precut fabrics. Perfect for beginner quilters, or even more experienced quilters wanting to brush up on their skills, this list of precuts is your go-to guide for fabric shopping!
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Click on our chart to enlarge the image!
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*Note: Honey buns are not included on this list. Honey buns are smaller than jelly rolls and typically measure 1.5″ x 44″. They’re also great for strip quilts and similar projects!
Different Types of Precuts
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Mini Charm Packs – These precuts typically include about 42 pieces and are perfect for patchwork projects. Mini charm packs measure 2.5″ x 2.5″.
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Charm Packs – One of the most popular precuts, charm packs also contain roughly 42 pieces and are great for patchwork quilts or patterns that call for half-square triangles.
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Jelly Roll – Jelly rolls are a long-time favorite with quilters and usually contain about 40 strips of fabric. Jelly rolls are great for strip quilts and are often used for bed-sized quilts.
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Jolly Bars – Jolly bars are a rarer precut than most and come in 5″ x 10″ rectangles. These precuts are great for yellow brick road quilts and can also be used similarly to charm packs.
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Layer Cakes – Layer cakes are common precuts that are typically used in larger quilting projects. These precuts typically contain about 42 pieces and measure 10″ x 10″.
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Fat 8th Bundles – Fat 8th bundles are half of a fat quarter and are rectangular in shape. They’re great for smaller quilting projects and come in pretty colors and prints.
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Fat Quarter Bundles – The crowning jewel of precuts, fat quarters are extremely budget-friendly (you can even find small fat quarter bundles for $1 at stores like Wal-Mart). Fat quarters were the first specialty cut available and are the most common precut.
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Half Yard Bundles – Measuring in at a half a yard of fabric, half yard bundles are the big sister of fat quarters. Perfect for larger quilting projects, these bundles measure at 18″ x 44″.
Some of Our Favorite Precut Patterns
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Charm Pack Patterns:
Whimsical Charm Pack Baby Quilt
A Hundred Hugs Baby Quilt
Charm Box Quilt Pattern -
Jelly Roll Patterns:
Last Minute Jelly Roll Wedding Quilt
Magic Jelly Roll Quilt
In-n-Out Jelly Roll Quilt -
Fat Quarter Patterns:
Fat Quarter Country Quilt
Miami Connections Block Quilt Tutorial
Fat Quarter Flagged Quilt Pattern
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BONUS! Tri-Me Honey Bun Quilt
What's your favorite pre-cut? We want to know below in the comments!
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KLC
Jul 07, 2017
It's so difficult to keep track of all the unique names for precut fabric. This article and the graphic are really helpful. Thanks!
Weberme
Apr 06, 2017
This is a must have list to all your pre-cut quilting packs all in one place. The size,about how many per pack and what quilt they are better for and they are budget friendly and best of all already cut in shapes for you. This does all your guess work for you. All you need to do is decide the style of quilt you want and find the colors you like best. All newbies should print or take notes of these. Thanks.
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