When you don’t want to cut out fabric or when you want to play around with all the variations of a particular fabric, then precut fabric is what you need.
What is Precut Fabric?
Precut fabric is a bundle of fabric cut to a specific size shape. It is often sold as part of a collection so that all the designs work well. Precut fabric includes fat quarters, jelly roll strips, and squares in either 5” charm packs or 10” layer cakes.
Charm Packs are the most popular because they adapt well to quilt making. They are perfect for one- and four-patch blocks, half-square triangles, and lots of other smaller pieced designs.
Jelly Roll Strips are 2-1/2 inches wide and 42 inches long. They are very versatile as they can be used for quilts that specifically calls for strips, as part of strip-pieced blocks (like a rail fence or nine patch) or for sashing and bindings.
Measuring 18” x 22”, fat quarters are generally the most expensive of the precut fabrics, but they also yield the most pieces of fabric when they are cut. It’s important to iron them before cutting to get all the folds out.
Benefits of Using Precut Fabric
When Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Co. presented her trunk show at Road to California 2018, she shared that she was a huge fan of precut fabric for the following reasons:
They Save Time – Time in cutting out fabric and time in sewing. “It only takes 1-1/2 hours to make a quilt from a layer cake pack,” remarked Jenny.
They Make Matching Fabrics Simple – Jenny told the crowd that she doesn’t “do colors.” She continued, “Being good with fabric is a gift and a talent.” Jenny noted that not many people – including herself – have that talent. She would much rather trust the designers who put the precuts together then her own fabric matching ability.
They Cut Down On The Overwhelm Factor – It’s a lot easier to work with 10 fabric precuts that have been coordinated in to one collection than try to match on your own fabric from 40 different bolts of similar yardage.
Did You Buy Enough?
A problem with using precut fabric is that they are only cut and packaged once. Which means, if you didn’t purchase enough the first time, there probably won’t be any available if you need to go back for more. That’s why it is important to purchase the right amount for the size quilt you are making.
At Road 2018, Jenny introduced the crowd to a handy spiral bound pamphlet that Missouri Start Quilt Co. has published, the Quilter’s Precut Companion. It has everything you would want to know about making quilts using precuts including a chart that explains how many precuts are needed for popular size quilts.
Have you tried using precut fabric in a quilt?
