Quilting cotton comes in so many shapes and sizes beyond the bolt, and knowing the different cuts can totally change how you approach your next project! We break down everything from wideback fabric (perfect for quilt backing) to the adorable world of precut bundles. Learn what a Fat Quarter is and why you need Layer Cakes and Jelly Rolls in your stash right now.
Make Modern Team
Why not treat yourself to a subscription?
Subscribe now and dive into the latest issue!
You absolutely can’t have a quilt without fabric, that much is true! But sometimes, walking into a quilt shop can feel a bit overwhelming, with bolts stacked high and all those cute bundles lined up like colourful candy. What exactly is a Fat Quarter, and when should you use a wideback instead of yardage?
We believe that understanding the different ways fabric is cut and sold can totally change your quilting life, making projects faster, stash-building easier, and giving your finished quilts a beautiful, professional touch. We’re going back to the basics to look at the different cuts of quilting cottons available, and why you should consider going beyond the bolt for your next make!
The most typical way you’ll find quilting cottons is on a bolt (or off the roll, as we sometimes say!). These fabrics generally measure between 42″ and 44″ wide (WOF, or Width of Fabric).
You can, of course, buy any amount required from the bolt—whether it’s a small $10.00 slice for a binding contrast or multiple yards for a major project. They are the standard for a reason: they’re perfect for stash building, creating long bindings or borders, and making the all-important quilt backing (though you’ll usually need to sew two strips together for most quilt sizes). These are the versatile foundations you’ll find lining the shelves of every favourite quilt shop.
If you’ve ever battled with piecing a quilt backing that’s full of seams that just never seem to lie flat, then you need to meet wideback fabric!
These fantastic fabrics are designed specifically for backing quilts and usually measure around 108″ wide. This generous width allows you to create most standard-sized quilt backings (like single, double, and queen) with a single piece of fabric, meaning no joining seams—huzzah! But wideback isn’t just for backing!
Seamless Borders: Consider wideback if you want to create beautiful, uninterrupted borders with no fussy joining seams.
Background Fabric: If your pattern requires a lot of background fabric (like a large negative space design), buying a wideback can be more efficient.
Binding Bonus: If you use a wideback and have some leftover down the side after basting your quilt, use this for your 2 ½” binding strips. With a 108″ width, you might only need four strips, as each will be about the length of your quilt.
Pro Tip: While the initial price per yard might look higher, wideback usually works out less expensive per square inch compared to piecing regular yardage, especially once you account for the time you save!
Fat quarters (often shortened to FQs) are an absolute essential for quilters who love scrappy quilts or who want a wide variety of prints in their stash without buying a huge amount of fabric.
A yard of fabric is cut into four pieces, but instead of cutting four long strips along the width, it’s cut into four pieces that are roughly 18″ x 22″ in size. This shape gives you more workable surface area than a skinny quarter yard strip.
You can often find Fat Quarters in bundles (perfect for getting every print in a collection!), but they’re also frequently found in single units in your favourite quilt shop (which is a much more convenient way to snag a tiny bit of a cute print without having to get a large piece cut from the bolt).
Precut collections are different fabric cuts from a single, coordinated fabric collection. They are the perfect way to get a taste of a whole collection, ensuring every fabric in your project is perfectly coordinated. There are countless patterns specifically designed for precuts, making your design options limitless!
Precuts are generally sold in five common sizes (though you may find more specialty cuts):
Fat Quarter Bundles: Feature a Fat Quarter of every fabric in a collection. They are perfect for full-size quilts. Pair them with a neutral background or your favourite print from the collection for the borders or binding, and you have a perfectly coordinated quilt ready to go!
Jelly Rolls: These are 2 ½” x WOF strips of every fabric in a collection. They are versatile cuts that are used wherever strip piecing is involved, or they can be trimmed down to smaller sizes for smaller blocks. They save so much cutting time!
Layer Cakes: These are 10” squares of every fabric in a collection. There’s often enough fabric in a Layer Cake to make a block (paired with a second or background fabric), so they’re a great option for making patchwork blocks when you don’t quite need a Fat Quarter. They can also be easily subcut into Charm Squares.
Charm Squares: These are 5” squares of every fabric in a collection. Charm square quilts are known for being quick and easy to put together. They’re a fantastic option if you want a little taster of lots of prints and are perfect for cutting EPP (English Paper Piecing) pieces from. This is also a great size to cut your own scraps into to make them usable for future projects.
Mini Charm Squares: These are adorable 2 ½” squares of every fabric in a collection. These sweet babies of the quilt world make perfect mini quilts, cushions, or are ideal for scrap quilts and tiny piecing projects.
In addition to quilting cottons, it’s worth considering other 100% natural substrates. These can add gorgeous texture and interest to your quilts. Lawn is a finer cotton, made famous by Liberty of London. Linen is heavier than cotton, with a rougher texture, but it’s still fabulous in quilts. Canvas weight cottons make great quilt backings or pillows, and they’re perfect for bag making. Denim needs no introduction, and non-stretch denim can make a great feature in quilts, giving them robust durability.
When you’re picking fabric for your next project, go beyond the bolt and look at all your options for finding the perfect cut and texture!
Ready to see these cuts in action? Every issue of Make Modern Magazine is packed with stunning patterns that use every cut from Fat Quarters to yardage! Whether you’re ready to dive into a whole Fat Quarter Bundle or just want a quick Charm Square project, we’ve got you covered.
Why not grab an All-Access Subscription today to get instant access to our entire catalogue and find hundreds of patterns that perfectly match the fabric cuts in your stash!
