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This is part of a week-long series for National Sewing Month. Don’t forget to enter the Grand Prize Giveaway!
Any quilter or sewing enthusiast knows that purchasing fabric can easily become very expensive. How many times have you found a gorgeous fabric that you’re dying to use, only to find that it’s sadly beyond your budget? That’s why so many quilters turn to precut fabrics. Precuts are typically much more budget-friendly than buying individual yards of fabric and come with cute prints and patterns in gorgeous colors. The best part about precuts is that it’s incredibly easy to use them in quilt patterns and projects; smaller precuts like charm packs are great for patterns that require HSTs (half-square triangles) while larger precuts like jelly rolls and layer cakes are excellent for strip quilts. But if you’re new to quilting, it can be hard to keep track of all of the different precuts, especially those lovely precuts with fun dessert names. If you can never keep track of the difference between a layer cake or a jelly roll, then never fear, because FaveQuilts is here to save the day with our guide to precuts. From common precuts like charm packs to lesser known precuts like jolly bars, we’ve created a useful guide to keeping your precuts straight, and have added a few of our favorite precut patterns as well. Here’s wishing you happy quilting!
*Note: Honey buns are not included on this list. Honey buns are smaller than jelly rolls and typically measure 1.5″ x 44″. They’re also great for strip quilts and similar projects!
- Mini Charm Packs – These precuts typically include about 42 pieces and a perfect for patchwork projects. Mini charm packs measure 2.5″ x 2.5″.
- Charm Packs – One of the most popular precuts, charm packs also contain roughly 42 pieces and are great for patchwork quilts or patterns that call for half-square triangles.
- Jelly Roll – Jelly rolls are a long-time favorite with quilters and usually contain about 40 strips of fabric. Jelly rolls are great for strip quilts and are often used for bed-sized quilts.
- Jolly Bars – Jolly bars are a rarer precut than most and come in 5″ x 10″ rectangles. These precuts are great for yellow brick road quilts and can also be used similarly to charm packs.
- Layer Cakes – Layer cakes are common precuts that are typically used in larger quilting projects. These precuts typically contain about 42 pieces and measure 10″ x 10″.
- Fat 8th Bundles – Fat 8th bundles are half of a fat quarter and rectangular in shape. They’re great for smaller quilting projects and come in pretty colors and prints.
- Fat Quarter Bundles – The crowning jewel of precuts, fat quarters are extremely budget-friendly (you can even find small fat quarter bundles for $1 at stores like Wal-Mart). Fat quarters were the first specialty cut available and are the most common precut.
- Half Yard Bundles – Measuring in at a half a yard of fabric, half yard bundles are the big sister of fat quarters. Perfect for larger quilting projects, these bundles measure at 18″ x 44″.
Be sure to check out some of our favorite precut patterns below!
Charm Pack Patterns
Jelly Roll Patterns
- Last Minute Jelly Roll Wedding Quilt
- Magic Jelly Roll Quilt – #1 Tutorial!
- In-n-Out Jelly Roll Quilt
Layer Cake Patterns
- Green Gables Quilt Pattern – Brand New!
- Tidal Pool Layer Cake Pattern
- Huge Flying Geese with Layer Cakes Quilt
Fat Quarter Patterns
BONUS! Tri-Me Honey Bun Quilt
What’s your favorite precut? We want to know below in the comments!
How to Enter Our Grand Prize Giveaway
To celebrate National Sewing Month, we’re giving away a GRAND PRIZE: this BERNINA 215 Simply Red valued at $999! Enter to win on AllFreeSewing.com.
Gain extra entries for our grand prize by commenting on our daily National Sewing Month blog posts here on Seams & Scissors. Comment your answer to our question below for an extra entry!
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Today’s Question: What are your tips for precuts?
FaveQuilts
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Fat quarter bundles are my favorite. They offer so many variations to cut them up, or use as large pieces to make totes, children’s garments, small projects or pieced backings. The only precut I haven’t used is the Jolly Bar..gotta go shopping!
I enjoy reading the SEAMS AND SCISSORS newsletter when it comes and often save ones pertinent to my craft. As I have been sewing for 55+ years I find it fun to learn new tips and short cuts. I am now sharing the joy of sewing with my grandchildren.
I love precuts but I have a problem. I love to look at them and have a terrible time taking them apart to use in a project. HaHa I really like to make bags/purses with the charm packs. Thanks for the generous giveaway.
I like layer cakes. I do a lot of applique and these are great for that.
I also cut my left overs and scraps into precut sizes, that way, I can use precut patterns to make scrappy quilts and small projects, or to supplement purchased precuts.
My tips for precuts….. use them. We buy them, we love them, we admire them and then we store them away. I recently found several packs of 5″ charms that I did not even remember I had purchased, but now they are in one location and I have planed 2 pixelated heart quilts and a charm quilt to use them. I constantly cut charms from my fabrics leftovers so this will be ongoing.
Oh the FQ’s. I am on a mission to use some of my purchases now. For the JR I am working on 2 scrappy TAW quilt.
Yes my advice is to use your precuts. There will always be new ones to purchase and use.
tushay3 (at) yahoo (dot) com
I have only used fat quarters and jelly roll pre cuts. What is my favorite? Because I have only used two of eight types of pre cuts so I really don’t feel qualified to answer that question. What I will say is that there are fabulous combinations of fat quarters and there are all kinds of reasons to use them.
Before opening up your pre-cuts use a lint roller on the outer edges of the fabric to pull off all the loose lint that usually goes all over the place when your doing your project. You will be amazed al how much lint comes off.
I have used precuts so am very interested in this article.
Fat quarters for sure. I need/want a larger piece of fabric than the smaller precuts as most of the time I don’t know what I am going to use the fabric for when I purchase it.
Fat quarter bundles are the most versatile, but I recently used a layer cake to make a three-fer pattern. A lap quilt first – then with the cut-offs, make a baby quilt. Then with the cut-offs from the baby quilt, I made a miniature quilt!
Use up the scraps of your pre-cut!!!
I love to use the fat quarters in sewing small purses and kid projects they are perfect sizes , staches can soon get out of control with all the beautiful patterns available.
I have used fat quarters, layer cakes, jelly rolls and charm packs. I still like fat quarters, they can be cut into the smaller sizes if needed, but the sizes group together great fabric combinations that are fun to work with.
I designed a quilt using 2 jelly rolls and 2 charms pack. The challenge was fun.
Precuts can be preshrunk by dampening and then pressing with a hot iron – set on cotton setting.
It’ s really easy to design something whether it’s from a jelly roll, fat quarters, charm packs, or layer cakes if the fabrics are already coordinated.
A little help by using pre-cuts is a good motivator.
I’ve never used a precut. So I don’t have a favorite.
I’ve never used pre-cuts, but they sound great! Thanks for this info and giveaway!
My tip is to buy lots of them and use them. They save so much cutting time. Thanks!
Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Co. does some great videos on you-tube, showing how to sew precuts and them cut them again to get many different designs. And Jenny is easy to love. The only quilt I have made so far was an embroidered one from an Anita Goodesign pattern. The blocks were outlined in jelly roll strips, and then I got tips to complete the quilt from Sara at Heirloom Creations for the binding, and Rob from Man Sewing (a Missouri Star Quilt Co off-shoot) whose tips for joining the filling and backing to the top were priceless. (All from You-Tube).
Precuts(or leftovers, for that matter) in varying sizes are great for small projects. I like to make drawstring bags to “wrap” presents in. The bag is a reminder, even after the present is gone.
I love the good old fat quarter. You can do so much with it!
I have made tons with fat quarters but not used any other pre-cuts. Never heard of jellynbars. I love Sharon’s idea above about using an iron to “prewash” them. Do they usually come pre-washed/shrunk? And it’s true what someone else said about diving in and using them. What a waste to have pretty fabric sitting around forever. Use them, gift them!
I prefer fat quarters – they are the most if you don’t have an immediate plan/ pattern on how to use your new fabric! Thank you!
Fat quarters because there is more there but I also really like jelly rolls.
If you’re timid about choosing colours for a project, buy a fat quarter bundle. All the fabrics already co-ordinate with each other.
Jelly rolls are my favorite. Keep them out so you can see them and inspiration will come
I tried to enter the sewing machine contest and it said I already enter today – not so —why?
I’m new to quilting
I think when using pre cuts make sure to place your foot just to the side of the ones that are cut with pinking shears to get a good 1/4 ” seam.
For me I find that easier .
Happy quilting everyone
I don’t often use precuts because I have a considerably large stash. I really liked Jelly Rolls as I made a bargello table runner. Hopefully I will have more opportunities to work with pre-cuts in the future.
I luv to use precuts. I have a lot of fabrics and when I make a quilt with yard long fabrics. I precut the leftovers in jelly rolls, etc. Lately I made a tote bag and a large quilt with these left overs.
I like to read all the bogs .
Although I have used all precut sizes, I just love the versatility of layer cakes!
I like the Jelly Roll. The colors are beautifully put together and it makes beautiful quick quilts.
Use precuts all the time and even use my Go Cutter to make them…..
I used to love fat quarters, with the idea that the larger pieces = greater versatility. But honestly, the hugeness of potential became an obstacle; I was afraid to cut the pieces! I’m using a lot of sushi rolls & jelly rolls. My anal personality kinda likes matching up the fabric patterns to make larger pieces where needed. 8\
Love jelly rolls to complement any of guilty. Our making a block!
I love buying fat quarters because they’re are great for all sorts of projects. Large enough to cut into strips and small projects like bags and accessories.
I have only used fat quarters and charm packs, but I just received my first layer cake and am looking forward to finding projects for it. My tip for charm packs would be to make sure you get some yardage that coordinates at the same time.
Im learning about different fabrics, so not sure if I like them or noy.. Newb