Precuts are the fabric industry's best invention since the rotary cutter: an entire collection, pre-cut to a standard size, coordinated by the designer, in one package. No yardage math, no cutting marathon, no wondering if the prints go together. Our precut wall runs 420-plus fat quarter bundles alone, plus charm packs, jelly rolls, and layer cakes. Here's the decoder ring.
The Sizes, Decoded
Fat quarter (18 x 21): a quarter yard cut wide instead of long - big enough for real block pieces. Charm pack (5 x 5 squares, ~42): the sampler taste of a collection. Jelly roll (2.5 x 44 strips, ~40): strip quilts, log cabins, bindings. Layer cake (10 x 10 squares, ~42): the big squares - half-square triangles, big-block quilts, whole baby quilts. The names are Moda's trademarks; other brands say 'strips' and '10-inch stackers,' but the wall speaks Moda.
Fat Quarter Bundles
The deepest section - 420 active bundles. Current standouts: Moda Rose, RB Coming Home (24 pieces), Gone Glamping (21), Spring Barn Quilts (18), and Let's Get Lost in the Woods (15). The batik bundles are their own event: the Hand-Dyes series in Misty Meadows, Sunset Sorbet, Warm Glow, and Freedom Flair, plus Neon Pop (24), Warm Rain, and the Halloween Expressions bundle from my Expressions Batiks guide.
Charm Packs
The five-dollar-ish handshake with a collection: Rose, A Blooming Bunch, Petal Power, Renew, Cinnamon Cream, Crystal Lane, Dog Daze, and Alison Glass Between.
Jelly Rolls
Forty strips, endless mileage - a jelly roll race quilt takes one roll and one afternoon. On the wall: Malibu Batiks, Crystal Lane, Petal Power, Astra, Create, Creativity Glows, Date Night, and Filigree.
Layer Cakes
Ten-inch squares for big-block speed: All Star, Collections Unity, Blossoms and Blooms, and RB Batiks Warm Rain. One layer cake plus background yardage equals a throw quilt - the fastest real-quilt math there is.
Corey's Precut Rules
Don't pre-wash precuts - the pinked edges fray and the pieces shrink out of square; wash the finished quilt instead. Buy the coordinating background when you buy the bundle, because when the collection sells out, the 'perfect background' goes with it. And starch before you cut into strips: 2.5-inch pieces behave much better with a little body.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a charm pack, jelly roll, and layer cake?
Charm packs are 5-inch squares, jelly rolls are 2.5-inch by width-of-fabric strips, and layer cakes are 10-inch squares - each typically containing about 40 to 42 pieces covering an entire fabric collection.
Should I pre-wash precut fabric?
No - precuts are cut to exact sizes and washing shrinks and distorts them before you sew. Piece first, wash the finished quilt.
How many fat quarters do I need for a quilt?
Roughly 12 for a baby quilt, 20 for a throw, and 30-plus for a queen, depending on the pattern and how much background yardage it adds.
What can I make with one jelly roll?
A complete throw-size jelly roll race quilt, a log cabin quilt top, or binding for roughly ten quilts - one roll holds about 1,600 inches of strip.
