How Many Fat Quarters in a Yard? (Fat Quarter In Inches/Cm)
Just like it is with making any clothing item, you need to measure accurately to make sure the item fits the person or the bed it is made for. When you come across new terms like fat quarters you need to know exactly how big they are if you are going to make accurate measurements.
How many fat quarters in a yard? For those fabrics that are not too small or too wide, the average fat quarter is 1/4 of a yard. That means that you can get 4 fat quarters in a yard. But there is a caveat to that, that yard of material needs to be 44 to 45 inches wide to get 4.
To learn more about fat quarters and how many are in a yard, just continue to read our article. it has the information you need on this topic and more. Take a few minutes to get up to speed on this important quilting material.
Fat Quarters 101
Is a Fat Quarter Half a Yard?
No, it is not and the only way it could be considered a half a yard is if the width of the fabric is around 36 inches in size. The name gives away the size of the material and the word quarter tells you that it should be roughly 1/4 yard in size.
Of course, when you use larger widths of fabrics, the word quarter can be misleading. You will be getting less than a quarter yard if your material is 54 or 60 inches wide. The size of the fabric will determine how many yards of material you will get.
How Many Yards is a Fat Quarter?
As you know by now, a fat quarter is supposed to be 1/4 of a yard of fabric. Also, as you know, it will depend on the width of the material it is cut from if you get true fat quarters or not.
We are not talking about pre-cut fat quarters here but if you are making your own from your own fabric you bought by the yard. Pre-cut fat quarters measure 18 by 21 inches and make a 1/4 yard using a 44-inch wide piece of fabric as the standard.
Half Yard vs Fat Quarter
Fat quarters can be easier to work with but if you make a cutting mistake, you will have to discard the whole quarter and use a new piece. With half a yard of material, you can make better cuts that fit your pattern easier, and if you make a mistake may still have room left over to correct it.
Which one you use will depend on your preference of course. It will also depend on how intricate your pattern is, how big your squares are going to be, and other factors. Fat quarters have their place in quilting just as a 1/2 yard does.
2 Fat Quarters Equal Half Yard
You may think we are being technical here but 2 quarters only makes up a half a yard if you are using a 44-inch wide piece of fabric as your standard width for a yard of material.
You get 4 fat quarters from this size of fabric which will equal a yard and leave you a little room for seam allowance--if you are cutting your own and not using pre-cut fat quarters.
While it may be technical it is an important distinction to make so people are not confused when they have leftover material after cutting 4 quarters from 54 or 60-inch fabrics.
How Much is a Fat Quarter in Inches
The standard size is 18 by 21 inches. That is 18 inches long and 21 inches wide. That measurement makes it possible to cut 4 fat quarters from a yard of material measuring 44 inches wide.
If you use a 36-inch piece of material then you will only get 4 quarters of fabric measuring 18 by 18 inches in size. As you can see, you are losing 3 inches per quarter which may be alright if you are making a smaller quilt. The smaller size fits smaller details better.
How Many Fat Quarters In a Yard?
In a 44 inch wide piece of fabric bought by the yard, you will get 4 fat quarters per yard. That leaves you roughly 2 inches for any seam allowance along one side of the quarters.
If you want to get fat quarters out of 54 and 60 inch wide fabrics, you will still only get four pieces with a lot of extra material left over to use on other projects or as scraps.
A 36-inch piece of fabric will only give you 2 fat quarters but again, you will have lots of material left over for other sewing needs.
What is The Size of a Fat Quarter in cm?
It takes 2 1/2 centimeters to make up 1 inch. Times 18 by 2.5 and you will get 45 centimeters in one direction and 52.5 centimeters in the other. The 52.5 is the total when you multiply 21 by 2.5.
That amount of material is still a lot of fabric to use in your quilt and gives you plenty of room to make delicate and precise cuts. How many fat quarters you need to use in a quilt will depend on the size of the quilt you are making. To figure that out takes more math which some people hate to do.
Why Use Fat Quarters?
There are lots of good reasons to use fat quarters over using a bolt of 1-yard fabric. The first reason is that the material is pre-cut for you and you do not have to do a lot of cutting if you need that size of material.
The next reason is that fat quarters are easier to handle, turn and twist. Then it is easier to make precision, delicate and smaller cuts using a pre-cut fat quarter. Some say that pre-cut fat quarters are cheaper than buying a yard or two of fabric.
Plus, you may get different colors in the same pack helping you to avoid buying multiple yards of different colors of the same material.
How Many Fat Quarters to Make a Quilt
Some people like to buy a bundle of fat quarters and make their quilt the size that bundle will allow. But there is a specific number of fat quarters needed for different sized quilts. For the king size, you will need a minimum of 42 and as many as 52.
Queen size 30 and 35 respectively; double is 30 and a twin a needs 24; a lap or throw quilt can get away with using 12 and a crib needs 8 to 12. A tiny craft quilt needs only 6. These are not hard and fast amounts as you may measure these sizes a little differently.
Fat Quarters to Make a Baby Quilt
To make a baby quilt you should go with the crib size mentioned above and that would require between 8 and 12 fat quarters. The amount that you will use will depend on the size you want to make the quilt and how thick it is going to be.
These amounts are approx. only and get you as close to the actual number you will use. They help you plan better and give you an idea of how much you need to buy for any given size of quilt you are planning to make.
Will Fabric Stores Cut Fat Quarters?
We checked several stores and not one of them mentioned that they do or will cut fat quarters for you. You may have to ask them to do it if you are a very good customer and spend a lot of money in their stores.
However, those same stores all carry pre-cut bundles of fat quarters and their prices vary depending on the design and other factors. Micheal’s, and other stores have a good selection of fat quarters so you may not need them to cut fabric by the yard for you. Some Micheal’s and other big box stores may not have fabric by the yard to cut down.
Will JoAnn Cut Fat Quarters?
As far as we can tell, the store does not but they may make an exception if you are a good customer and you are ordering a lot of material at one time. It will depend on the store manager and the store’s policy.
There have been complaints about how thin Joann’s fat quarters are and you may not want to buy their pre-cut options. The best thing we can say here is that you should check with your local outlet first before you buy anything. It is a guess as to which stores will or will not do it for you.
Does Walmart Sell Fat Quarters?
Yes, that box store does sell fat quarters. Their reputation for having the lowest prices may help you save some money when you do buy those items from this store. The only question is if you like the colors and designs offered by that retailer.
The cost of their fat quarter bundles ranges from approx $17 to $60 and you would have to check out their selection to see if they fit what you have in mind. Wal Marts are usually conveniently located making it easy to shop at their stores.
Does Michaels Sell Fat Quarters?
Yes, they do as well. They are trying to stay competitive and make sure their stores carry enough selection and different items to meet all your sewing needs. How big a selection you get and how many of each item there is will be anyone’s guess.
We have read that their offerings are limited and when we checked their online store at least one item was out of stock already. It will depend on the local store manager what is in their store and some people may be lucky to find some fat quarters while others may be out of luck.
Does Target Sell Fat Quarters?
This may be up to the different store managers. They may try to compete with the fabric stores and have some items on sale but the website we checked did not list any fat quarters.
They had a lot of different fabric cuts available but none of the 18 by 21-inch size needed to make a fat quarter. On a different note, both Hobby Lobby and Hancock outlets carry and sell fat quarters.
Like other stores, their materials are priced at different levels and you can get as few or as many as you need. At least that is the impression one gets when they read their ads.
Are Fat Quarters Big Enough for Face Masks?
Yes, fat quarters are more than big enough to make face masks. But they are not so large that you can get more than 3 out of one piece of material. Others have stated that they can get 4 to 6 face masks out of their fat quarters.
The amount you get will depend on if you have a true fat quarter or not. You will have to measure and cut carefully to get a lot of face masks out of one piece but the effort is worth it.
Then you can make those face masks any color or design you want as the sky is the limit on those two positive features.
Some Final Words
Fat quarters are handy pieces of material and they help you make delicate and intricate cuts without a lot of hassle. They are easy to maneuver and they come in a variety of colors and designs.
Their 18 by 21-inch size makes them perfect for smaller sewing projects as well. They are not restricted to being used for quilts only. Just find what you want at the price you want to pay.
