PRECUT FABRIC - 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY 

I definitely learned something while researching Precut fabric. Some facts I knew. Others were total shockers ...like how much extra they cost. I hope you learn something too

At the age of 68 and in the middle of a pandemic I have decided to try quilting. The whole thing is a mystery to me but I jumped in and made several Crazy quilt blocks out of discarded clothes. I like it...but when I went to the store to buy actual yardage and coordinate the colors...OMG. After 2 hours I left the store with only a spool of thread lol. Thank you for explaining my options.

The advantage of precuts, for me, is that I can have cuts of all the different fabrics in the line without having to purchase minimum yardage cuts when I order online. I'm not always able to find the fabric lines I want at local stores. So this can actually save money in the long run and prevent adding excess fabrics to my stash that I don't need. And most of all......cutting is my least favorite part about making a quilt!

Karen, thank you for your reply. Didn't know about that guild, i will look into them. I've been involved in 'running', "shows" with cumulative 83 yrs ., experience. Almost any 'theme' you can imagine. I presently make quilts, hook rugs, knit, garden and never have time to be Bored! A full life at 75. Thanks again. You are a true friend to countless...out there.

The positive to buying precuts is that you get a wide variety of prints. The down side is there are always some of those prints or colorways that I just don't like.

4:15ish I love that you included those of us with dexi issues and disabilities. Gotta love an inclusive space. Thank you!

Coming from garment sewing where the amount of fabric needed is listed on the back of the package along with the size chart, I was accustomed to buying by the yard accordingly. Most of my garment sewing was done with my grandmother who was a stereotypical thrifty Scot. She rarely bought as much fabric as was recommended and always managed to make it work with less, and minimal scraps. All of these fabric cut options are new to me since I recently started quilting. I find that I don't really like the smaller packs like layer cakes, and jelly rolls although that is what I cut my scraps into. I do like the fat quarters. What a brilliant way to get just a ¼ yard! So far, I prefer to buy them as I need them rather than a full bundle of a product line. My LQS has individual FQs above the shelf with the bolts and has a section in back where other FQs are sorted by color. Cost wise it works out to about an extra dollar or two per yard. But, if you buy 10 you get 2 free which improves the math. Since my LQS is half an hour away, I only go occasionally and plan my shopping list. I just wish my grandmother were here to share this with.

This confirms what I committed to doing as started my quilting hobby- always have a specific project in mind vs just buying fabric. This is tough because there are some incredible fabrics out there. But I really don't want to become a fabric store!

As a new to quilting person I find that quilting is so expensive that either you are all in or not. Saving a few dollars comparing yardage to precuts is just dithering. A home made quilt is ALWAYS a LABOR of love & a money pit!

A good lint roller is a necessity to liberally use on the edges of precuts, especially jelly rolls before opening.

I love Jordan Fabric Stores for their precuts because there are NO pinked edges. I hate pinked edges, they get everywhere and practically shred.

You just saved me from making a big mistake! I was planning to purchase precuts online, and didn't realize how many issues I needed to take into consideration. Thanks for making this video! 💖

This is just a detail from a farmer: I think the print you called “barbed wire” is chicken wire.

I recently made my grandson a quilt out of jelly rolls. Neither the sales associate at Joann's fabrics nor I thought to check how many strips were in the jelly roll I purchased. When comparing the jelly roll to yardage there was such a slight cost difference that I bought the jelly roll. I ended up buying 4 rolls to have enough strips (3 trips to the store). Definitely check all information on your precuts.

Hint for buying precuts…always buy 2 matching yardage with enough for binding or borders(1/2 yard/.5 Metre) than when I FINALLY get around to using that jelly roll or cake I have those prints to use with it, and not trying to find the line again to make a border or binding…I don’t worry about backing cause a solid color can always be bought to match after the fact.

Thanks for sharing your research. I’m just getting started on the quilt journey along with slow stitching projects. With some bundles I purchased years ago, for a reason I no longer remember, I began to explore pre-cuts. I find that I often get fabric patterns I’d never use and cringe. 😬 Lesson 🤔 how to use these pieces? They make great base fabric squares for slow stitching as well as quilting blocks like scrappy squares. They won’t go to waste. One of my best finds though is a reclaimed fabric store about 40 miles away. A fat quarter is sold individually at $2. I get only what I want. They have $5 grab bags, $1 pieces (about 3/4 of a fat quarter size). Fabric by the yard, sewing notions etc. I have only begun to explore this store. I’m going to have so much fun creating from these fabrics things like a postage stamp quilt, scrappy quilt etc I still have some quilts I plan that will require purchase by the yard but keep in mind all the fabric that ends up in landfill yearly finding a deal at a reclaimed fabric store is fun and a win win in my books. Thanks for sharing all your skills, I’m enjoying learning from your videos. 🫶🏼

I am teaching my granddaughters (11 and 14) to quilt. They had two Yenter jellyrolls with pinked edges that they were sewing into a Donna Jordan pattern they picked out. They were having a lot of trouble with the seams with strips being pinked. I spent a couple of hours trimming the pinked edges off for them. They are not experienced enough yet and I don't want them frustrated and give up.

Great vlog, thanks! One consideration you didn't mention is when you're not buying for a specific project (as I don't) but buying something to go in the stash just because you love it. When I began quilting I didn't really understand what I needed and so bought metres of fabric (I'm in the UK), three-quarters of which then sits unused. So although I paid a cheaper price per square inch, I actually paid 75% MORE because I didn't need it all. So for someone like me, who likes to stash build then pick out coordinates later, fat quarters are the way to go, either as yardage or in packs. Thanks again for a great vlog with some really useful points! Jay 😊😃

I love precuts, but I’m used to sewing with pinked edges, thanks Grandma for that.

I love them💕I don’t like being that person who’s getting an eighth of yard of twenty different fabrics cut.haha

It wasn't in the survey - I buy precuts because I want ALL the prints without having to buy 20 yards of fabric. I am willing to pay the premium to get the variety!

I lived in Canada as a child, only for several years and was gifted a Quilt. This quilt has always held a real special spot in my heart and now when a friend told me she's pregnant I knew this is something I would have to do. So thank you endlessly that you put your information out there. It helps to share not just knowledge but love.

I was complaining to myself this morning about the pinked edges. What a mess, including me covered in fuzz!!! This was a great video. Thank you!! 🧵✂️🪡

I know my comment is coming three years after this aired but in Georgia most of our dollar trees have a dollar plus section. I can get a third (15) or half (20) jelly roll or 5 fat quarters for $5 each. That is wonderful to try a pattern out and not worry that I’m wasting expensive fabric.

I’m so grateful to you for helping me learn to quilt. You are delightful and such a good teacher and the information you share is so valuable and superior to many other quilt videos because you educate beyond the cut and sew tutorials. I knew nothing about quilting till COVID quarantine and you and the you tube quilt world have given me so much joy. Learning something so new at 68 has been an adventure. Thank you!

Thanks for making me think more about the $$$ for pre-cut. My first quilting fabric purchase was day two of Covid closings, so I just asked for "whatever" through the door as I picked up my serviced machine. They gave me a choice from two and I was happy for a long, long time. Once the store opened, it was like being in a candy shop! I stuck with a few pre-cuts and odd yards so that I would NOT develop a big stash - just in case the thrill wore off. But friends & your vids have hooked me in mini-quilts as I learn and practice techniques. Who knew sewing an accurate quarter inch could require this much focus! Love your vids: pace, content, variety, usefulness, practicality. And you are sweet!

Oh boy. I retired from working at a Viking Sewing Gallery INSIDE Joann Fabric Store..FAT QUARTERS where my thing Whenever they went I sale, I bought. especially when 99 cents or less. Started with 10 at a time, them went up.I have boxes full of them, and material. Had alot of ideas, but hated to cut into some. When I was designing a quilt block of the month. Fat quarters helped out alot.

I love making scrap and sampler quilts. I buy yardage on sale and sort by colour. I made a Gypsy Wife Quilt as my first quilt. Took awhile but it is just beautiful. The most I buy is a yard no matter what the price.

VERY helpful video, thank you. Personally I never buy 'pre-cuts', jellyrolls or layer cakes, only fat quarters or fabric directly off the bolt. I've heard too many sorry stories about how layer cakes are badly cut and the fabric is not what the buyer thought it was going to be :(. I also like to be in control of pattern repeats. And great advice about reading pattern requirements 'first'! Oh how many times I've cut up beautiful fabric, strictly in accordance with cutting instructions, only to find I had many more (strips) than was actually required. Not wanting to discredit any P & Q business in particular, but I've recently cut fabric (some quite expensive!) for a "LB" pattern in strict accordance with cutting instructions, only to find I have about a metre's worth of strips left over! I guess I'll eventually use the strips for another project, (or maybe the quilt backing) but was such a waste of good fabric I could have used for another project. Over here (Australia) some quilting fabrics are now up to $32-35/mtre, so an averaged size quilt can end up costing quite a lot.

I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to cut the fabric. I stink at it, and waste a ton of fabric. However we all need to reach out of our comfort zones...so I forced myself to buy yardage and cut it for a 86”x 109” log cabin quilt. The moral of the story is that I learned that I can use a rotary cutter, but I have to PAY ATTENTION and not let my mind wander. That’s when the blade wanders. This is the first time pieces actually fit together without a lot of “fudging”! Also I got my quilting mojo back after watching your crumb quilt videos. I was overthinking everything! So I made one and forced myself to just put it together without thinking and it’s gorgeous!

I wanted to know years ago what is a precut, so I ordered a 5” package. Not just it was too expensive for my budget, but I didn’t know what to do with those little squares. RU-vid was not there those days, so I bought a book and sewed myself a bag. I used it many years, but was a frustrating experience for me. For instance, I didn’t like all the colors included and they were pinked, so I sew them like that and the squares end up being smaller. A couple of years ago I ordered some fat quarters, again, too expensive, plus they were more appealing from internet that in person. From now on, I buy them in stores, I touch, see through and buy a half or a yard of the colors I really like, now I am enjoying to sew! BTW, I enjoy your videos and your knowledge… thanks for sharing!

Donna Jordan of Jordan Fabrics discussed pre-cuts on the WOF in one of her RU-vid videos. She noted that WOF is stretchier than LOF and therefore working with traditional jelly strips have issue with stretching. To that end, they cut LOF strips from yardage in their shop. These can be ordered through their website. I have strength and dexterity issues with arthritic fingers and wrists so pre-cuts make me happy (except for those darned pinks).

I usually buy precuts when on holiday. My husband may only give me limited time to shop or is pacing outside so I buy a bundle that will go together and it reminds me of the holiday. I’m an Aussie and I have some beautiful quilts made from fabrics bought in haste from shops all over Canada 😂😂

Karen, your investigative reporting on quilting is always the best!! So thorough. You've answered so many of my "hmmm, I wonder what" thoughts, and I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these questions. Your video about -to prewash or not to prewash-was great also. Thank you, Rebecca

I think the silliest thing I did was to buy solid white 1 1/2” stripe roll and paid mega dollars for it when I have a tub of the same white fabric and an Accuquilt die for 11/2” strips. But the reason for not cutting my own was the convenience. Even cutting your own strips with a die cutting machine takes time, space and care. I was already stressed about a matter, and quilting was meant to help me, a therapy of sorts. I guess the money spent on the roll was well spent, because the sewing was the therapy, and no additional stress was added by cutting. (I also used a jelly roll on the quilt.)

I wish there was a local quilt shop. We don’t have one in Bethlehem, PA. Fortunately, while visiting family in Austin, TX, I had the opportunity to follow a shop hop 5 years ago to discover all that is available in their area. It was better than Christmas!

One thing that didn't come up on a survey is that if you live in an area with only very tiny quilt shops (like Ireland) the shops never buy the entire range as yardage because they just can't afford to carry huge amounts of stock for their relatively low turnover. So precuts are really the only way to get a bit of every fabric in a range. If I love a particular range then I will often buy yardage of the one that I like the most (or the one that is available) plus either a layer cake or a jelly roll in the same range. I'll use the yardage for a nice wide border and the precut for the body of the quilt.

Thanks, Karen for your unique take on the subject of pre-cuts. I’ve been quilting for many years, but I tend to set an upper dollar limit on my quilts for the tops & bottoms. I buy batting by the roll and don’t factor that amount into the quilt. I realize I could spend less for quilt tops if I purchased individual pieces, but oh the agony of deliberation! So, my choice is to purchase a pre-cut and get sewing 🙂 I may get lucky and find a coordinating fabric for a border or binding, but then I realize I’m just needing to get it done and move on to another quilt top! There’s only so much time!

I have a pretty tight budget so the expense of precuts is just not suitable for me plus I love cutting fabric, I love to just take a break from quilting and cut up my own precuts from scraps. Scrappy quilts, table runners are so much fun. I’m also fortunate to have a Hobby Lobby and JoAnns where I live. When sales are on I usually buy 1 or 2 yards of fabrics I like to add to my stash. When JoAnns has a sale on 108 fabric I buy 2 yards of each that I can afford. My favorite cutting tool is June Taylor’s Shape and Cut ruler. Quilting is my obsession 😊

Fascinating information about the cuts. In Hawaii, all the precuts are sooooooo expensive. Fabric yardage is sooooooo expensive and so on…. You inspire me!

Precuts helped get me into quilting. I loved the “get right to sewing” idea of them.

Yes yes yes.....a stash busted with precuts!!! Wooohoooo!!!! Hope you are having a great morning/ afternoon..or what ever time of day it is when you read this.I look forward to your videos and learning from you . You have made learning about quilting so much more understandable for me with picking choosing colors and the whole process. Thank you for everything you do you are greatly appreciated!!!!

Buying pre. cuts is like buying the family pack of pork chops-the top ones look super, the bottom ones make you wonder what on earth you bought! But I do like the precuts sometimes, just because the color coordination is great, and I don't want a yard or half yard of 10 colors, just a little bit. This was great information, thanks

Rewatched this video and it's reassuring to hear someone who has more quilting experience struggling with what quantity of fabric to buy. In the past, if I saw a fabric I liked but with no plan, I'd buy a quarter or maybe half yard so it wasn't such a hit to the wallet. At the time it seemed sensible as I didn't sew much but often I wouldn't have enough fabric when inspiration struck. My husband, a great supporter, finally said stop cheaping out and buy a full meter. At times that has worked and while I have a few prints in my stash I no longer love overall it's been good advice. Except now, two years into my quilting journey, I've found one meter is sometimes not enough and extremely regrettable when that gorgeous Kaffe Fasset print is sold out and I can't get anymore. Now I have graduated to two meters and bolt ends. I can always find someone in need of quilts or bowl cozies or mug mats or... 😁

That wasn’t barbed wire, it was poultry wire or just plain chicken wire. Love your videos. Wonderful and so informative. Love them.

I love precuts. With limited storage I can get a whole line. I just trim before sewing or use patterns that square up after sewing. My favorite are 10" squares.

I often cut a few 2 1/2" strips after cutting whatever I need from yardage for a quilt, and put them in a bin. When I have quite a few, I make a quilt that calls for a jelly roll or just 2 1/2" strips. I think they have more spark and interest than those made from just one line of fabric.

I tend to buy either jelly rolls or layer cakes and usually only when they are on sale and purchase a little yardage for a border. Then I spend hours looking for a design that I can use said precuts on. Thanks for all your tips and tricks!!!

My issue with precuts is needing any background, border and binding yardage. Sometimes it can be hard to find fabrics that coordinate, especially if you’ve had the precuts for a while. Thanks for the great videos!

Wow, so great! The price per-square-inch sure was a revelation. I get fqs because they are such a delicious lure - guess that's why they are cakes and buns. Your next video is "Stash Busting" - One way is to WEED out and let it GO - I did so with my 45 year stash. My carpenter brother had taken out a wall between two bedrooms in my house for a sewing room 24 years ago! Eventually, I'd ended up with 9 pink baby pools of fabric by color and 18+ tops and dozens of ufos ! I emailed only ONE local guild (to avoid tensions) - three people came. The guild president vowed to take ANYTHING I sent out - she was willing to sort it and give anything the guild members couldn't use to the thrift shop. Thousands of dollars worth of designer fabrics went. And, some cheaper goods I'd bought for backings, etc. They also had a baby pool outside to lay fabric into and had brought their OWN boxes and bags (I had not asked but was happy to see they came prepared). No one ended up even wanting to look at my books which I'd put outside in a bookshelf. The METHOD - I handed fabric I was "done with" out two windows to whosever's hands were there to catch it. I did it twice - one week apart. We did it as long as any of us had energy - 8:30 am to around noon, both days. We all pooped out at the same time - and their cars were full! This method could work during Covid19 if anyone wants to do it. The endeavor was about MY needs - I did not make allowances for those who couldn't make it for the times I scheduled. I was decisive about the times because I knew it would be hard enough for me as it was. Very hard!!! I just couldn't have the process draw out or have people IN my house stressing me out. I was asked to offer more times but I said, "No, this is about me and the fabric is beautiful and FREE." So the single process of handing things out the window was what I offered. Once they saw the Kaffe and other designer fabrics they were grateful and generous to me offering to deliver any "ugly" stuff to the thrift shop. I was relieved they took everything I passed them. Owning SO much fabric had seriously hobbled my quilting! For years. if I needed a red, I couldn't decide so I put it all away again. Weeding was an absolute necessity for my creative productivity. I ended with 1 1/2 pools full - a stack of 8 pools inside each other with another half-filled one. I'd weeded out 80%! One year later, I regret only three things I sent out that window. I let beautiful tops go that I knew I didn't want to finish quilting. Just done with them. The Guild members even sent me photos of quilts that had been made from some of the fabrics and I was so happy they used it. They were kind and it worked out for us all. I am sorry if I have asked for too much of your time, but I wanted you to hear how this FREED me of 45 years of un-needed fabric. Most importantly, I thank you for your positive attitude in all of your videos - I "get" you and your take on this love of quilting we all share.

I hate precuts. I always buy fabric that speaks to me so I always buy yardage. I'm also a self taught new quilter so I'm developing bad habits right off the bat 🤣 I have only used a pattern a few times too. I love math so if I see something I like I math it and redesign. I love your fabrics. Your tutorials. Your advice. Thank you for being here for me for the last 2 years.

I LOVE precuts. Only been quilting five years and I’m hooked on the precuts. I’m blessed so cost is never a factor. I love the convenience. There are many books out there with charm and layer cake patterns exclusively. Happy quilting 😁💕.

I tended to stock pile precuts, jelly rolls, layer cakes etc. The downside is by the time I get around to using them the fabric collection has been discontinued making it difficult to buy border fabric to match. This has happened several times where I'm spending a lot of time with online searches . The moral of the story for me now is to have an idea what pattern I would choose for the precut & buy some coordinating fabric!

The only thing that I see is in error: "the edges are pinked"- not every manufacturer pinks their edges. I love the ones that AREN'T pinked, as those pinked edges are messy and leave a shredded trail everywhere.

Karen you did it again....so much awesome information....thanks for all the time you spend doing our research....saving us the time

Today is the first day I've watched anything on your channel and subscribed right away! Thank you for the content. :)

I make a lot of baby\youth blankets for charity and mostly utilize charm packs and layer cakes. The problem with yardage is that I primarily order fabric online, and when I want a variety of fabrics in small quantities, most of the major sellers will not cut less than a yard.

When pre-cuts were first introduced, I too did a cost analysis and found that I could not justify their costs. Fast forward a hundred (quilt) years. So many quilts, so little time. Cutting and color coordination ain’t all that it’s crack up to be. Enjoy the ride. Buy a pre-cut

I took the survey, but you didn't leave a space for a written comment, so here goes. I have been quilting since my 1st child was born 41 years ago. I was used to buying yardage. My rules were 1 yard if I needed it to round out the stash. 3 yards if I was getting it because I really liked it. If it was a really excellent sale and it would make a good backing, I would buy the rest of the bolt unless there were 20 yards on the bolt. My mother owned a fabric store when I was growing up and we did inventory by counting the folds on a bolt, so I am pretty good at estimating how much fabric is left on a bolt. In the last 3 years or so, I have been attending a quilt retreat twice a year close to Denver, CO. There are lots of stores is a big city like Denver. And no stores in my very rural area. I was taken with pre-cuts, mostly jelly rolls and fat quarter bundles. I have a few layer cakes and charm packs, but not compared to jelly rolls. Now I am like, I need to use these. Having a jelly roll is not like going shopping in my stash. I need to use the jelly rolls and other pre-cuts. My most recent decision (that came with a sewing room cleaning exercise) is that I need to go back to getting yardage or fat quarters (which I store within my stash closet like yardage). The way I pull fabric for a project from my stash does not go with having pre-cuts, so I am not going to buy anymore except fat quarters. My fascination with pre-cuts is over!

God Bless you dear Karen and your family. I am sooo thankful to hear the wonderful news about your precious son. I tune into your videos, because of course they are very helpful, but I find your voice so soothing, it's a perfect bedtime inspiration. you're just one of those people! Sincerely Sandra Keller

I am a fan of 10” squares and jelly rolls. The positive is that like the variety of colors and how they go together. The negative is that sometimes I do not like the design because it is unbalanced in the 10” square, or I there are times that I just dislike several of the squares included.

Having working in a quilt shop for a number of years I am well aware of the markup on precuts, whether they be store made or manufacturer made. That still didn’t stop me from buying the odd jelly roll or charm pack if I really liked the fabric line. I am now retired and realize that there’s not many patterns for just one charm pack and many charm packs are so unique that it is hard to find coordinating fabric to make the quilt bigger.

My quilting has evolved significantly from when I first started in 2004. After all those years I accumulated so much variety in my stash that now I find fabrics there that coordinate with the new pre-cut packs. I enjoy that challenge: inserting some of my own into pre-existing collections, playing with colours and prints, and the accidental discoveries that cause my quilts to end up even scrappier than expected.

Im 68 and decided to try this quilting. Wow what a surprise all the stuff. Im learning i think? Your video helped with bundles and packs and charms. I tried going to Joann’s but they gave me know help. I bought 1 🧵 of thread. Hope I figure it out.

I haven’t bought many pre-cuts and they really aren’t for me. This is a great video highlighting the pros and cons.

Does anyone else wish they would sell bags of scraps? So many people like making crazy quilts.

For me the advantage is the variety. Especially shopping online, saving me buying small yardage of many fabrics, which sometimes are not even available or minimum purchase is 1 yard.

In preparing to buy a one-color layer cake (white), my formula went like this: The layer cake is $35 for 42 squares. If the cost of the same 42"-44" yardage is $10 per yard or less, I should NOT purchase the layer cake, but instead cut my own 10" squares. I should purchase the layer cake if the yardage cost-per-yard is greater than $10; that is the indicator to purchase the precut. This is valid only for ONE-COLOR layer cakes. I will definitely be interested in seeing your calculating ruler when you have it ready. Thanks for your wonderful site!

I've only been quilting for a year now, so i feel safer buying lots of yardage and cutting as needed.

Things i have learned watching your videos: -I havent cleaned my sewing machine since i bought it in 2012, i should take better care of it. -I only have a pack of precuts. Where i live fabric is sold by the metre so most fabrics i have are leftovers from other projects. I bought this charm pack online and when it arrived i didnt like the color at all, it was brownish and not grey as it looked in the pictures so i never used it. -I can improve my sewing just by having better techniques and tools. Practice is not all.

I learned to quilt watching Georgia Bonesteel on PBS. I just made very small projects. Now, I'm interested in relearning with all of the new techniques and supplies. I'm mesmerized by all of these new cuts.

Karen, you know that I smile 😊 back when your face pops up on youtube.

I can’t wait for precut patterns and tutorials from you! You’re my sewing teacher during quarantine. I discovered my interest in quilting recently. So I don’t have access to workshops or classes. I love your stash busters. I can’t wait to see what else you got for us. I don’t feel advanced enough to try out your earlier block tutorials, but I love how you explain your creative process as well as the how to. ❤️💖💜

I never buy precut. Thank you for confirming my hunches about these tempting products!

I don't really quilt but I make mug rugs and table runners in very easy patterns. The only pre cuts I use are jelly rolls to use for the border and as an occasional filler fabric and I use fat quarters a lot. I get most of my fabric from certain shops via Etsy. I don't have a fabric store where I live that sells quality fabric.

I always wondered about the difference in price. Wow!! Thank you for breaking that down.

I don’t buy precuts only yardage. Cutting is part of the process of making quilts.

i used to buy fabric by the yard at quilt shops, taking hours to match or blend colors and styles. Then we lost all of our quilt shops within an hour of home. You can't do that matching thing on line. I'm so glad I discovered precut fabric, especially the layer cakes.

I've been burned with fat quarters. My long-term bucket list quilt is a Baltimore Album featuring 32 (?) papercut applique blocks. The blocks, with SA, finish at 12.5". It's critical for intricate needle-turn applique that the grainlines match--the applique piece & the background. I thought I'd get started by using some fat quarters, since I only need the applique piece to be in the 15"sq ballpark. Carefully hand washed the FQ. After truing the fabric to the true grainlines, most were unusable--too small. Grrr! but learned. I'm also hand sewing a charm quilt. Most of the scraps I was able to buy at sales--make your own scrap bag kind of thing & charm packs. At the very end of my fabric acquisition, I had to buy full price charm packs. This left me with dozens of duplicate fabrics that I'm now dealing with. I only buy, always yardage, for my stash. My stash is organized by color & within color by value. This way I can see at a glance what the stash needs before I go shopping. Lights are hard to find & maybe I'm short on yellow. For the stash, I buy .5 to 1 yd--or more if it's a large-scale print. If I run across a beautiful fabric that I can key a quilt from, I'll buy at least enough to put a border on a king or queen size quilt. My general rule is 7yd to 10 yds. I'm a Kaffe Fassett & Jinny Beyer fan so the more fabrics in a quilt the better. Kaffe says 10 or 12 fabrics can be hard to work with--make it 25 or more & it will work. I'm finishing up a Target Log Cabin. Started with about 50 fabrics, I'm sure now I'm at the end there's close to 100. For piecing I work mainly by value. So if I run out of light blue, any color of the same value will work.

Great video as always Karen. I'm glad you're looking more rested in this one! These days, quilting fabric has become SO expensive. I'm glad I went crazy buying yardage and precuts when I began my quilting journey in 2012 (until around 2015, when the U.S. vs. Canadian $ exchange rate skyrocketed). I used to share a U.S. post office box with a few others, and my friend and I would drive across the border about once every month or so to pick up our orders from great online stores like: MSQC, FatQuarterShop, Hawthorne Threads (now Hawthorne Supply Co), ConnectingThreads, and others. Even paying GST tax on the way back across the border it was still worth it, because you couldn't get a lot of those designer fabrics here then, or precuts, and the prices were less than half of what we paid in Canada. However, ever since the pandemic shut down the border, even though trucks still get through, several U.S. online sellers have stopped shipping outside of the U.S. (A great shop for non-designer jelly rolls used to be JellyRollFabrics.net but they won't ship here anymore). The post office seems to have increased their shipping prices as well. So I'm glad I have quite a healthy stash from then... I just need to get it all organized, and then I can "shop" from my own 'store'!! (I admit it, occasionally I am still tempted by Black Friday sales, and ConnectingThreads.com with their shiny monthly catalogue and occasional 40%-off quilt books sales or 20% off of everything... Gah!). But now I am determined to shop Canadian, support *our* small businesses, and there are several I like: MadAboutPatchwork, Sew-Sisters, FabricSpark, CountryClothesline, Dinkydoo. p.s. Full disclosure: I have completed (including quilting and binding) a grand total of THREE quilts so far. I have about five more quilt tops done, two of which I can't seem to locate. Yep, I admit it: my *real* hobby is Fabric Aquisition!! :-D ~Diana K.

Thanks, I usually buy off the bolts, unless I really like the fat quarter or it’s on sale. I don’t want to have a surplus of fabrics and I have to have a reason for making the quilt. I’m finding money spent on fabric can get out of hand fast. Learning to cut my own pieces is a experience I’m trying to master.

I just googled how to build your stash. I’m a newbie quilter and want a fabric store in my house to shop from. This video came just in time before I renovated 😊

I love precuts for a quick go to. However I have to listen to the tutorials with headphones because it drives my husband to snacking. All this talk of jelly rolls, layer cakes makes a guy hungry! Lol keep on with the great information Yvonne Maybrook NY

I am a beginner and my first or maybe second project will be in using up squares left by my grandmother years ago after she got sick and passed away. My mother never did quilting so these pieces was left over and I want to make atleast one quilt out of them before going on to another project. As always, I thank you for your help and the time you devoted to your subscribers.

Karen , I’m really done with pre cuts. I now buy yardage. I’ll even buy 5 plus yds to a whole bolt. But they have to be favorite colors. Or shades of these. Took years to jump to this Alway frustrated with not having enough of favorite in a bundle. Love your videos.

Thank you for your fun videos! Jordan fabric sells perfect cut (no pinking) bundles. Also before you open jelly roll run a lint roller over it several times to get rid of lint.

I try very hard to not buy FQ I like to but 1/2 yd bundles or yardage, you just get so much more fabric ♥️

I also have trouble with knowing how much fabric to buy, and whether to buy pre-cuts or yardage. Love all of your videos . I didn’t realize the huge make-up on pre-cuts. I will think twice before getting any more.

Jelly roll, layer cake, charm pack...depends on the pattern tutorial! I love them all!

I have gotten layer cakes that were only 9 3/4 x 9 3/4. I worker in a fabric shop & measured all our layer cakes. The miscues ones were ALL from one manufacturer. Now I always check before I buy. LOVED YOUR VIDEO!

Karen, I really got a wake up call by watching your video...Sure wish I had seen it sooner. Thank you so very much.

I haven’t bought many precuts, just the odd jelly roll on sale ‘cuz they’re so darn cute but I do see the appeal because you get such a variety of prints/colours in a precut bundle. I guess the math gets a bit complicated then because if you wanted to recreate a layer cake let’s say, you’d end up buying twice as much fabric as needed seeing as you’d get 8 x 10”squares of each print where there might only be 4 or less in a precut layer cake. Also, whenever I see patterns using precuts they’re often just using half the bundle. So, either way your stash grows 😃

This has really been an eye opener as regards prices of pre-cuts compared to yardage. I understand the manufacturers have to spend more time on pre-cuts, but seriously some of the percentages are just way too much. I’m guilty of hoarding fat quarter packs, so they’re aren’t too bad, but I’ll think twice before buying some of the others.

I buy layer cakes fabric for Bowl Coozies. The cost versus the time saved equals more productive pieces made. More coozies made means more profits.

I love jelly rolls! I love getting so many different fabrics all in one go. I hate pinked edges, and have found 10" layer cakes tend to be cut small. Thanks for everything you do!

I never buy precut fabrics, it really confuses me. I am so glad you put this video out. Thanks Karen always love your videos.

I love layer cakes. I live in a rural community of 4000 in West Texas. We have a huge fabric store old world style. She carries many tempting precuts. We are blessed here with her.

Yes, it would be helpful. Sometimes I see a line I like but they have no precuts. The amount needed of each one to make different precut sizes would be great.

I love to sew but crafty things, and whatnots. My mom could sew anything and beautifully. I want to make a quilt and that is all new to me! Thank you for explaining what those beguiling fabric bundles all mean!!

Karen, I cannot begin to thank you for these fantastic tutorials! I sure did learn a lot on my 1st quilt. Your tutorials are already making me a better quilter! Using a leader, making a ledge, PRESS and not ironing. Color theory. I watch your tutorials over and over so I don't slip into bad habits.