GETING TO KNOW PRECUTS

1

Precuts are a great way to sample an entire fabric collection, without spending lots of money. Plus, you can get started piecing a quilt without all the hassle of cutting. There are lots of different types of precuts available from many fabric manufacturers. We’ve listed the most common types below, but it’s always best to check the details of a specific pack before purchasing.

n Layer Cake/ Stacker: 10in squares

n Charm Pack: 5in squares

n Mini Charm: 2 ½ in squares

n Jelly Roll/ Rolie Polie: 2 ½ in x WOF strips n Jolly Bars: an exclusive to Fat Quarter Shop, measuring 5in x 10in ( available Feb 2015)

2

The easiest way to begin piecing is to simply sew the pieces from a pack of precuts together. You can also mix and match different precuts for more variety. Just remember that you may have to do a bit of trimming to make the different sizes match up. For example, you can sew two rows of 5in Charms together, and match with one Layer Cake piece, trimmed down to 9 ½ in. Or, if you’d rather, sash your two charms with a bit of Jelly Roll and trim that piece down to 10in.

3

To save time, layer up to six precut pieces and trim with your rotary cutter. Precuts can be divided in many ways. A Layer Cake can be cut into four Charms, and each Charm can be cut into four Mini Charms. You can also cut Layer Cakes and Charms into 2 ½ in strips. A Jelly Roll can also be cut into Mini Charms, perfect if you need lots of matching Mini Charms. For even more ideas on how to cut and sew your pieces, see the Piecing Ideas on the opposite page.

4

Jelly Rolls are perfect for chain piecing. You can line up several pieces along the strip and sew them all in a line. When you’ve finished, trim apart between your pieces. You could also sew two Charms to a Layer Cake, to get a long rectangle attached to each charm. The Block Variations on page 52 show you how to use chain piecing to create a Pinwheel block.