Conversion Tables

I love a pre-cut. Now if, one sentence in, I've already lost you and you're wondering what a pre-cut is, let me enlighten you: introduced by Moda Fabrics two decades ago, they're factory cut from co-ordinating collections of fabrics, with pinked edges to stop them fraying and delicious, patisserie-inspired names.

A jelly roll consists of 2½" x width of fabric (42") strips; a layer cake (my personal favourite) is made up of 10" squares and charm packs are 5" x 5". There are usually 42 different fabrics in each pack (with the odd repeat) and you might also come across honeybuns (1½" strips,) honeycombs (hexagons), slices and turnovers (both triangles), dessert rolls (5" strips) and candies (2½" squares).

Pre-cuts weren't entirely unknown before then and quilters have long been able to buy smaller cuts of fabric like Fat Quarters and Fat Eighths. I've lost you again, haven't I? Essentially a fat quarter yard is half a yard (18”) cut in half vertically, so instead of being 9" x the width of the fabric (42") it's 18" x 21" - and similarly a Fat Eighth is 9" x 21" instead of 4½" x 42" - resulting in a more useful piece of fabric. I’ve also seen Liberty Tana Lawns sold as Fat Sixteenths, which are 9” x 10½”. So much more useful than 2¼” x 42”!

Pre-cuts are wildly popular with quilters mainly because you can pretty much start sewing with them straight away, but also because of the sheer variety of prints they contain, instantly conjuring up the heirloom, scrap-basket look of an antique quilt. And as they’re specifically designed to go together, they're a lovely way to build your confidence in mixing different prints.

Over the years a profusion of quilting books and patterns have been published to show you how to use them, including many of mine! My very first quilt used a pack of charm squares and a 'recipe' for a Table Runner from the Moda Bakeshop website and it's been an utter thrill to have my own patterns posted on the Bakeshop and to contribute to their gorgeous pre-cut books.

But with so many pre-cut-friendly patterns out there, what if your cupboard is already groaning with larger cuts of fabric (a.k.a. yardage) or Fat Quarters? What you - and I - need is a few conversion tables...

Obviously you wouldn't actually want to cut all those pieces from the same fabric, but it's useful to know when you're assessing the cost of pre-cuts, or if your guild hosts fabric swaps.

Or you could turn a cupboard full of Fat Quarters into your own custom pre-cuts...

You can find my tips on choosing fabric in this post. Oh, and go and take a look at my free project library for some inspiration.

with love from the studio,