There are many manufacturers that produce pre-cuts but what if your favourite line of fabric is from one that doesn’t? The answer is to make your own.
All of these pre-cuts can be cut from your scraps, but here is the quantity you can cut from other pre-cuts and yardage.
Charm square - 5in × 5in (12.7cm × 12.7cm):
4 mini charm squares (21⁄2in × 21⁄2in/5cm × 5cm)
Layer cake square - 10in × 10in (25.4cm × 25.4cm):
16 mini charm squares
4 charm squares
Fat eighth - 9in × 22in (22.9cm × 55.9cm):
24 mini charm squares
4 charm squares
Fat quarter – 18in × 22in (45.7cm × 55.9cm):
56 mini charm squares
12 charm squares
2 layer cake squares
Long quarter (yard) – 9in × 44in (22.9cm × 111.8cm):
51 mini charm squares
8 charm squares
3 jelly roll strips (21⁄2 in × 44in/6.3cm × 111.8cm)
1⁄2 yard (0.4m) – 18in × 44in (45.7cm × 111.8cm):
24 charm squares
7 jelly roll strips
4 layer cake squares
1 yard (0.9m) – 36in × 44in (91.4cm × 111.8cm):
56 charm squares
14 jelly roll strips
12 layer cake squares
The smaller pre-cuts, such as mini charm packs, charm packs, jelly roll strips and layer cakes, are most commonly cut with a pinked edge (zigzag). There are a couple of things to note. The size of the pinking varies massively between manufacturers. Some are tiny and some are as big as 2–3mm from the top to the bottom.
Also, the size of the cut pieces can vary ever so slightly between manufacturers, batches or fabric lines. Some measure the width or length to the bottom of the pinking and some to the tips of the pinking.
As accuracy in your sewing is key to getting your seams to match up, it is worth measuring them before you start to establish how yours are cut so you can take account of this when you are sewing the pieces together. This is particularly important when you are joining a pre-cut piece to a piece you have cut from yardage.
Whether you pre-wash your fabrics in general is largely personal preference; however, it is important that you do not wash pre-cuts as they have been cut accurately to a very specific size.
The shrinkage rates between different manufacturers and even different fabric lines from the same manufacturer can differ widely. Washing will shrink the fabric slightly. Sometimes if the fabric has been printed with the grain of the fabric not completely straight, washing will straighten the grain, so you are likely to end up with pieces that are smaller than you want them to be and in some cases slightly distorted.
I am a huge fan of pre-washing but I steer well clear when using pre-cuts!