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

A fat eighth is a single piece of about 9 x 21 inches. Fat Quarter Shop cuts 9 x 21. Some shops cut about 11 x 18 instead. 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 81 square inches, so plan about 41. 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 106 at roughly 81 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 eighth holds about 189 square inches of fabric, which is roughly 0.125 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 81 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 20.