Fat Quarter & Precut Calculator
Pattern calls for 12 fat quarters, a jelly roll or a charm pack, but you'd rather cut from yardage? Pick the precut, enter how many, and this free calculator tells you how much fabric to buy and exactly how to cut it. Works for one fabric or a scrappy mix.
Precuts to yardage, at a glance
Figured with this calculator on standard 44 to 45" quilting cotton (42" usable), all from one fabric, rounded up to the next ⅛ yard:
| Pattern calls for | Size | Yardage | How to cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 fat quarters | 18 × 21" | 1 yd | Two 18" rows, 2 across |
| 8 fat quarters | 18 × 21" | 2 yd | Four 18" rows, 2 across |
| 12 fat quarters | 18 × 21" | 3 yd | Six 18" rows, 2 across |
| 8 fat eighths | 9 × 21" | 1 yd | Four 9" rows, 2 across |
| Jelly roll (40 strips) | 2½" × WOF | 2⅞ yd | 40 strips |
| 20 jelly roll strips | 2½" × WOF | 1½ yd | 20 strips |
| Charm pack (42) | 5 × 5" | ⅞ yd | Six 5" strips, 8 squares each |
| Layer cake (42) | 10 × 10" | 3⅛ yd | Eleven 10" strips, 4 squares each |
| Mini charm pack (42) | 2½ × 2½" | ¼ yd | Three 2½" strips, 16 squares each |
| Dessert roll (20) | 5" × WOF | 2⅞ yd | 20 strips |
| Honey bun (40) | 1½" × WOF | 1¾ yd | 40 strips |
Precut sizes, explained
- Fat quarter (FQ): 18 × 21". A half yard cut in half down the fold, so 4 come from a yard.
- Fat eighth (F8): 9 × 21", half a fat quarter. Some shops cut 11 × 18".
- Long quarter: a regular ¼ yard, 9" × width of fabric. Same amount of fabric as a fat quarter, but long and skinny.
- Skinny eighth: a regular ⅛ yard, 4½" × width of fabric. A 5" charm won't fit in one.
- Jelly Roll, Roll Up, Rolie Polie, Bali Pop: forty 2½" strips cut selvage to selvage.
- Charm pack: forty-two 5" squares. Layer cake: forty-two 10" squares. Mini charms: forty-two 2½" squares.
- Dessert roll: twenty 5" strips. Honey bun: forty 1½" strips.
Pack counts vary a little by brand, so check the label. If your pattern wants a size that isn't listed, use Custom width or Custom size.
How the calculator works
- Usable width first. Selvages take about 1" off each side, so 44 to 45" quilting cotton is figured on 42".
- Rows across the bolt. Squares and fat cuts are laid out across the width, turned whichever way fits more. Strips run selvage to selvage, one per row.
- Round up to what shops cut. Rows times row height gives the length off the bolt, rounded up to the next ⅛ yard (4½").
- One fabric or many. For a scrappy quilt where every piece is a different print, it gives the smallest cut of each fabric that still fits one piece.
Questions, answered
How many fat quarters are in a yard?
Four. A yard of 44 inch quilting cotton cut in half lengthwise and crosswise gives four 18 by 21 inch fat quarters. So 8 fat quarters of the same fabric is 2 yards and 12 is 3 yards.
How much yardage is a jelly roll?
A jelly roll is forty 2.5 inch strips cut selvage to selvage. Cut from one fabric that is 100 inches of length, or 2 7/8 yards once you round up to the next eighth of a yard. Twenty strips is 1 1/2 yards.
How much fabric is a charm pack?
A charm pack is usually forty-two 5 inch squares. Eight 5 inch squares fit across 42 inches of usable fabric, so 42 charms take 6 rows, which is 7/8 of a yard of one fabric.
How much fabric is in a layer cake?
A layer cake is usually forty-two 10 inch squares. Four fit across the fabric, so you need 11 rows of 10 inches, or 3 1/8 yards of one fabric to cut a full layer cake yourself.
What is the difference between a fat quarter and a quarter yard?
Both are a quarter of a yard, cut differently. A fat quarter is 18 by 21 inches, nearly square. A regular quarter yard, also called a long quarter, is 9 inches by the full width of the fabric. A 10 inch square fits in a fat quarter but not in a long quarter.
What is a fat eighth?
A fat eighth is half a fat quarter, usually 9 by 21 inches. Some shops cut them 11 by 18 inches instead. Eight fat eighths of the same fabric come from one yard.
Can I use yardage instead of precuts in a pattern?
Yes. Enter what the pattern calls for and how many, and the calculator tells you how much yardage to buy and how to cut it. If the pattern wants every piece in a different fabric, choose All different fabrics to get the small cut you need of each.
This is one of the calculators inside Makerly.
The free version does one job well. Inside Makerly, the calculators work together: enter your quilt size once and backing, batting, binding, borders, on-point, precuts and a full printable cut list all update from the same numbers.
- Save every quilt as a project, with its numbers attached
- Design the quilt first in the Block Designer, then let the math follow
- Track your fabric stash so you know what you already own
- Works in your browser and on iPhone and Android, always in sync
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