Hi, hi lovely quilters! I am back again with a post about what are precuts, how to work with them when planning a quilt, cons and pros and tips. Let's start!
What are precuts? And types
Precuts are fabrics already cut to use straightaway on a quilt project. There are different types divided by their dimensions:
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Mini Charms: 2.5″ x 2.5″ squares. The packs usuall contain 42 of these.
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Charm Pack Squares: 5″ x 5″ squares. Again, usually 42 squares.
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Honey Buns contain 1.5″ x 42″ strips. Regular packs come with 40 strips.
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Jelly Rolls contain 2.5″ x 42″ strips. Same, usually 40 strips.
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Layer Cakes: 10″ x 10″ squares. 42 squares per pack.
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Fat Eighths: 9″ x 21″ rectangles. The number of fat eighths in a collection will vary.
- Fat Quarters are 18″ x 21″ rectangles. The number of fat quarters in a collection will vary.
Pros of using precuts
- There's (hardly any) no cutting involved! With quilting, the cutting part can take a lot of time so if you are pressed for time, go for a precut pack that you can used directly without having to cut anything.
- You get to use an entire fabric collection (thinking about prints) without having to purchase big quantities of each one of them.
- There are lots of different sizes available (mentioned above) so you can always find one that works for you.
Disadvantages of the use of precuts
- Some of the smaller sizes of a precut pack come with “pinked” edges, which means they are cut on a zigzag to prevent fraying. These can be confussing when piecing fabrics together and wondering where to place the edge. Just place your 1/4'' presser foot next to the pinked raw edge as if it was a normal fabric edge.
- Pre-washing or not pre-washing? For the mini charms, charms, honeybuns, layer cakes and jelly rolls, I wouldn't pre-wash. You can end up with very wrinkly and raveling edges. Fat quarters might be ok... If you pre-wash them, remember to spray them with starch and allow to air drying them before sewing.
Useful Precut Tips
- Keep an inventory of what you have in an excel document. This way you always know what you have in your stash before buying any new fabric.
- For storing them, divide them by colour, prints vs solids and dimensions in clear boxes. This will help a lot when planning a new quilt or quilt project.
- The precuts should be accurate but it is always a good idea to measure them beforehand to double check.
- Last, make your life easier by purchasing patterns designed for precuts!
And that is it for today! I hope you enjoyed this post and that now you are ready to start using precuts on your own quilting projects.
Happy quilting!
Ana
xxx