So what is a fat quarter? If you aren't a quilter and have heard the term fat quarter it may sound weird and confusing. It sure did to me. Now it's just the usual lingo I throw around and forget non quilters don't know what I'm talking about.
I'm going to show you the difference between the traditional 1/4 yard of fabric and the fat quarter and why you would use one over the other.
First, let's discuss what a quarter yard (1/4 yard) of fabric is.
A yard of fabric measures 36 inches long. So 1/4 of a yard is 9 inches. This measurement usually comes out to be around 9 inches x 42 inches. It really depends on the exact width of the fabric.
A fat quarter is the same surface area as a 1/4 yard but instead of being long and skinny, the piece of fabric is closer to a square.
A fat quarter measures 18 inches x 21 inches.
Let me show you visually below.
A fat quarter is made by cutting the fold off the end of a 1/2 yard of fabric. This makes (2) 1/4 yards which as you can see above have a wider shape than the traditional 1/4 yard.
Why would a quilter want a fat quarter over a 1/4 yard or vice versa?
It really depends on the project you are making and the cuts you need. Some projects don't need a lot of fabric, but need wider than a 9 inch cut. So a 1/4 yard wouldn't work, but a fat quarter would.
Some projects might cut more efficiently with a 1/4 yard and the same number of cuts can't be cut from a fat quarter. It just depends on the project.
Some projects can work with both 1/4 yards or fat quarters. Usually the pattern will say. 
You can see the quilt above was made with the fat quarter bundle in the photo.
Why do quilt pattern designers use fat quarters in so many patterns?
Fat quarters are a very common cut of fabric. It's easy to find curated fat quarter bundles or buy a fat quarter bundle of a whole line of fabric. If you struggle with choosing fabrics then the work is already done for you. It also makes buying fabrics easy. If you love a fabric but don't have a project yet, you can stash it away for a future fat quarter quilt. This gets us quilters into lots of trouble. 🫣
Have any questions about fat quarters? Email me at shelby@nomadicquilter.com and I'd love to answer them.
If you are a new quilter or want to learn to quilt and have a question you want me to answer or write a blog post about, feel free to email me as well.
Happy Quilting!