Have you ever read a pattern or visited a website and they mention precuts? Have you ever wondered what precuts are? Precuts are usually sets of fabric pieces assembled by the manufacturer, although shops may package their own as well. Precuts aren’t really kits for a specific project. They are coordinating fabrics either by fabric line or by color scheme.
Precuts – jelly roll, layer cake, charms, and fat quarter
The advantages of precuts, especially for quilters who have a fear of cutting, the pieces are mostly cut for you. You can find patterns specifically designed for precuts, like the Autumn Rails free pattern designed for jelly rolls Because most of the fabrics are precut, the quilts are completed more quickly – generally speaking. In addition, the fabrics are already coordinated for you. You don’t have to spend hours finding just the right colors or patterns. Now, for those of you who love fabric shopping, don’t be disappointed. Many shops (both brick & mortar and e-commerce sites) have such a huge selection, you can still spend hours picking just the right ones.
Ok, I have provided the why precuts can be good, but what exactly are they. I spend a bit of time searching through various e-commerce sites and pulled together a handy dandy table of the sizes and the somewhat appetizing names they go by: jelly rolls, layer cakes, honey buns, turnovers, pops, etc. Some of these, I had not run into before, so this was quite educational.
As you can see, these precuts come in not only different sizes, ranging from 2.5 inches square to a yard. But, they also come in a number bunch of different shapes: squares, triangles, rectangles, strips, and hexagons. Generally speaking, if the shapes vary from these, they are probably precut applique pieces for specific projects, but I digress.
If you would like a copy of this precut table, it is available for download here: Precut Sizes – Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts. Now, you can shop like a pro!
Happy Quilting
Laureen