Fat Quarter Size Guide: Pieces, Yardage and How Many for a Quilt

A fat quarter is a single piece of about 18 x 21 inches. Half yard cut in half at the fold: about 18 x 21 to 18 x 22 depending on fabric width. Always check the label, because counts and exact sizes vary by manufacturer and collection, and some pieces are pinked at the edges, which slightly reduces the usable size.

A 50 x 65 inch throw top is 3,250 square inches. With the piece cut into 5 inch squares that finish at 4 1/2 inches, one cut covers about 243 square inches, so plan about 14. That is for the patchwork only: sashing, borders, backing and binding need separate yardage.

A 90 x 95 inch queen top is 8,550 square inches, so you would need about 36 at roughly 243 square inches each. Many quilters stretch fewer precuts by adding a solid background fabric, wide sashing or a border, which also makes the prints stand out.

A fat quarter holds about 378 square inches of fabric, which is roughly 0.25 yard of 42 inch cotton by area. Precuts give far more print variety than one yard of a single fabric, which is why they cost more per square inch. The trade-off is less flexibility in what you can cut.

One cut covers about 243 square inches of finished patchwork, which suits a table runner, pillow, pot holders, a mini quilt or a pieced tote. Combined with background fabric it can become the center of a baby quilt; a 40 x 40 inch baby top made only from these needs about 7.