A yard is a way to measure length in both the USA and Britain. Its most popular form is on the football field. As a quilter, it is my favorite measurement. When I talk with my husband, I say things like “No, it’s about a yard wide.” You see, I have a visual burnt into my mind: the cutting mat. It is slightly smaller than 36” depending on the mat you have. They have about half an inch around the cutting grid of free space so you don’t cut your table (or parents’ pool table. Sorry mom, that wasn’t me). Thirty-six inches, the same as one yard or three feet. There are so many ways to break down the yard. Even more ways to cut a yard. You can even make your own pre-cuts.
The reason why I started contemplating the yard is because when I go to the fabric store, I always feel so silly. I know how many inches I need. Not how many yards I need. The thing is, many stores will only cut to the closest yard. As I dive deeper into writing patterns, I have learned that the standard is also to specify the closest yard as a fabric requirement. All hail the mighty yard!
Let us take a journey down the rabbit hole as we unlock the yard. Here we will go over the traditional cuts of fabric and precut sizes so you can make your own pre-cuts. Why would you want to make your own pre-cuts? Well, there are some great patterns out there that use pre-cuts, but you might want to control the amount of times a color repeats. So let’s get started. The traditional yard can be broken into fourths, thirds, and eighths. These are staples in our quilting world. Here is how they break down.
The yard in fourths
1/4 – 9”
2/4 – 18” (or 1/2 yard)
3/4 – 27”
4/4 – 36” (or 1 yard)
The yard in thirds
1/3 – 12”
2/3 – 24”
3/3 – 36” (or 1 yard)
The yard in eighths
1/8 – 4.5”
2/8 – 9”
3/8 – 13.5”
4/8 – 18” (or 1/2 yard)
5/8 – 22.5”
6/8 – 27”
7/8 – 31.5”
8/8 – 36” (or 1 yard)
Next we have our fat quarters & eighths.
This is a little flexible. Some stores cut it smaller, but essentially it is half a yard (which is 18”) cut in half. Now this is where it gets tricky because a fabric width on the bolt can be different. This depends on the fabric manufacturer. The width could be 40” but it could also be 44”. To be safe, I am going to use 40” as my fabric width standard in this post, so you won’t be short. Making a fat quarter is 18” x 20” I have heard horror stories where someone bought fat quarters and they only got 16”. So be aware that there can be differences here.
Fat Quarters 18” x 20” – There is (4) Fat Quarters in a yard. To make a Fat Quarter you can cut a yard in half (18″). Then fold the 1/2 yard in half so the selvage touch. This is usually how fabric is folded on the bold. Cut on the fold.
Fat Eighths 4.5” x 20” – There is (8) Fat Eighth in a yard. To make a Fat Quarter you can cut in 4 eighths (4.5″). Then fold the 1/8 yard in half so the selvage touch. This is usually how fabric is folded on the bold. Cut on the fold.
Now let’s get into the nitty gritty fun stuff, the pre-cuts.
The amount of fabrics can vary depending on the manufacturer of a fabric shop, but there is a great variety in fabrics in pre-cuts and they are all meant to match. They usually have a whole line of fabric included or a color way of a line. However some stores create their own, pulling from their full store for their palette.
The Layer Cake or 10” stacker is just that, a 10” square. There are 2 7/8 yards of fabric in a Layer Cake. To make your own stack of 10” squares, cut (10) strips at 10″ then cut each strip into (4) 10″ squares giving you a total of (40) squares OR mix it up. To make a Layer Cake with different fabrics get a 1/3 cut of (10) different fabrics. Cut (4) 10” squares of each fabric.
Another staple in the quilting world is the charm square, nickel, or 5” stacker. It is a 5” square. There is 3/4 of a yard in a Charm Pack. To make your own, cut (5) strips at 5″ then cut each strip into (8) 5″ squares giving you a total of (40) squares OR mix it up. Mixing this one up gets a little tricky. If you get (5) different fabrics at a 1/4 a yard, you will have a nice variety of five different fabrics, but you will have waste. So I lean to making an extra big pack, 80 pieces. For this, you would need (5) different fabrics cut at 1/3 of a yard. This would be the biggest bang for your buck.
The list goes on and on . . .
Mini Charm is made with 2.5” squares
There is 1/4 of a yard in a Mini Charm pack. Cut (3) 2.5” strips, selvage to selvage. Then cut each strip into (16) 2.5″ squares. You will get a total of (48) squares.
There are three yards in a jelly roll. Simply cut (43) 2.5″ strips. OR to mix it up, use 3/8 of a yard of (8) fabrics for a total of (40) strips.
You can easily turn a Jelly Roll strip into Mini Charms because they both have 2.5″ in their size.
You can cut 640 Mini Charms out of a Jelly Roll if your Jelly Roll has 40 strips in it. I typically don’t use cut that is on the folded because it is a little wonky so I would get 600 mini charms out of a Jelly Roll.
Honey Bun – 1.5” strip, selvage to selvage
There is 1 2/3 yards of fabric in a Honey Bun. Simply cut (40) 1.5″ strips. OR to mix it up, use 1/8 cut of (13) different fabrics for a total of (39) strips.
How many 8″ x 8″ squares in a yard of fabric – 32
Cut (4) 8” strips, selvage to selvage. Then cut each strip into (8) 8″ squares for a total of (32) squares.
If you would like to see some pre-cuts I have for sale, click here.
Well, I hope you enjoy this rich morsel of information and share it on Pinterest so others can can fall down this rabbit hole with us. Have a wonderful week!
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For more explanation see our blog Fabric on the roll calculator
Disclaimer for Fabric on the roll meter www.stofensteen.com
The fabric on the roll meter is intended to assess whether there is approximately enough fabric is present on the roll to (re) upholster an object, without having to roll out and measure for example 7,5 meters of fabric first.
Stof en Steen developed this Fabric on the roll meter. The outcome is always approximate. Stof en Steen is not responsible for measuring your roll of fabric. The Fabric on the roll meter is not intended for use with commercial purposes.
Before you actually start to cut the fabric for the project where it is intended for, Stof en Steen advice you to measure your fabric first.
The Fabric on the roll meter is intended to assess whether there is
These Fabric on the roll meter useful for:
Balances at the end of the year, coup ages on sale, to see if there is still plenty of fabric in the warehouse or under your working table.