Fat Eighth- What Size is That?

Shopping for fabric in the stores can be a lot of fun.  But, sometimes it becomes confusing when you pick up this super cute print in a basket….all rolled up cute like and you are looking at the sign that says fat eighth.

What?  What is a fat eighth?

Let’s review today what it is and what kind of measurement it could be.  That rolled beauty can be deceiving and you don’t want to go home, unroll it and find out it is not quite what you were thinking it was.

Before we start let’s clarify that a regular one-eighth yard cut measures 4 1/2″ X 42″ {or width of fabric}.   This can be a great piece of fabric, but a lot of quilters find that it is a bit narrow and depending on the pattern you are working on, it can be wasteful.

Getting the fabric in a larger, chunky or square size can be the best use of the fabric and the easier to use for quilting.

So- what or how can we get a better piece to use?  Here are two options for cutting it in a chunky shape.

What size is a pre-cut Fat Eighth?

Option 1:  cut to measure 9″ x 22″ 

or

Option 2:  Cut to measure 18″ X 11″

When picking up those rolls, make sure to read the fine print to know what you’re getting— depending on the shop or who is cutting or what the fabric is for….that size can be different!

The diagram below shows how each fat eighth is cut– you will have two options.  The beginning piece is the fat quarter.  Then it is divided from there.

Curious about other pre-cut fabrics?  You’ll find how you can cut your fat quarter up here.   And,  All the sizes of pre-cuts in a printable card here.

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