‘Pre-cuts’ is the general term applied to those lovely little bundles of fabric found in quilting and fabric shops tied up with pretty ribbon. They come in all shapes and sizes but the most common ones found in quilting shops are charm packs which contain 5in (12.7cm) squares, jelly rolls which contain strips that are 21⁄2in (6.3cm) wide that are as long as the width of the fabric (typically 44in/111.8cm), and fat quarter bundles which contain varying numbers of fat quarters.
For those of you who have never heard the term ‘fat quarter’ before, it refers to the way the fabric is cut. If you bought a quarter of yard/metre of fabric off the roll you would be buying a piece of fabric that is a quarter of a yard/metre in length and the whole width of the fabric (typically 9in × 44in/22.9cm × 111.8cm). A fat quarter refers to a quarter of a yard or metre that is cut by literally cutting the yard/metre into four quarters, so it would measure half a yard/metre long, and half the width of the fabric (typically 18in × 22in/45.7cm × 55.9cm) in length. Fat quarters on the whole tend to be more versatile than long quarters.
There are many fabric manufacturers who supply pre-cuts. The ones that produce the largest range are probably Moda and Robert Kaufman but Westminster, Riley Blake, Hoffman, Timeless Treasures, Art Gallery Fabrics and most other quilting fabric manufacturers also now produce them in various forms. There are also many quilting shops that put together their own pre-cuts and bundles. Ask at your local quilt store to see whether they do.
There are many different names for pre-cuts and the numbers of fabric pieces contained within each varies between manufacturers so bear this in mind when you are looking for them. The number of fabric pieces required for each pattern is also detailed in the individual patterns so double check the pre-cut you plan to use to ensure that you have enough fabric to complete the project! The various names and the number of pieces contained within each pre-cut is detailed here:
21⁄2in (6.3cm) squares
Mini charm pack - 42 squares
5in (12.7cm) squares
Charm pack – 30, 40 or 42 squares
Bali snaps – 40 squares
Mini Tonga treat - 40 squares
5in (12.7cm) stacker – 1 of each print in the fabric line
21⁄2in (6.3cm) strips × the whole width of the fabric
Jelly roll - 40 strips
Design roll – 30 strips
Roll up - 42 strips
Bali pops - 40 strips
Tonga treat strips - 40 squares
Rolie polie – 1 of each print in the fabric line
10in (25.4cm) squares
Layer cake - 42 squares
Ten squares - 42 squares
Tonga treat squares - 40 squares
Bali crackers - 40 squares
10” stacker – 1 of each print in the fabric line
5in 12.7cm) strips × the whole width of the fabric
Dessert roll - 20 strips
9in × 21in (22.9cm × 53.3cm) – an eighth of a yard
Fat eighth bundle – generally 1 of each print in the fabric line
18in × 21in (45.7cm × 53.3cm) – a quarter of a yard
Fat quarter bundle - generally 1 of each print in the fabric line