Greenberg - 25 Ways to Sew Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes & Charm Packs

I love pre-cuts and have hoarded them for years. The magpie in me just cant help being drawn to those pretty little packages of fabric. As their name suggests, pre-cuts are pieces of fabric that have already been cut into sizes suitable for use in patchwork and quilting and are a great way of getting a small sample of all the prints in a range when you have neither have the money nor the inclination to buy acreage, or for new quilters who havent yet accumulated a fabric stash.

My guess is that many of us have pre-cuts hoarded in cupboards and are unwilling to use them because they look so lovely, and darent spoil them by unravelling them (we all know that once that ribbon has been taken off it is impossible to get a pre-cut rolled up and perfect looking again). But, trust me, you will love them even more once you have created something gorgeous from them!

This book contains 25 projects designed to inspire you to get those little bundles of loveliness used up. There are even projects to use up those last few jelly roll strips and charm squares so that you get to squeeze every last bit of enjoyment out of them.

There are purposely no difficulty ratings in this book. Those of you who have already quilted before dont need them and the last thing the newer quilters amongst you need is someone telling you what they think youre capable of. The first book I ever bought had no difficulty ratings either. The first two quilts I ever made from that book were a cathedral window quilt and one with inset seams, on the nave assumption that I could pull them off. People often comment that I have a fearless approach to quilting but, to me, the quilts were in the book so of course they were possible, right? Right.

Pick the design you like, get your fabric at the ready and go for it. Dont be put off by any of the projects as some look more complex than they actually are. Whats the worse that can happen? You may have to unpick a couple of seams or go and buy a little more fabric, but the satisfaction of making something gorgeous from your precious pre-cuts is priceless. And if you dont get it perfect, the quilt police are not going to come knocking at your door.

I hope you enjoy making these projects as much as I did!

Whether you are new to quilting and want to buy some fabric for a quilt without breaking the bank, or you are a seasoned quilter with more pre-cuts in your stash than you know what to do with and need some inspiration, this is a quintessential guide to using pre-cuts.

This book contains projects made with many of the common pre-cuts on the market. I have also used a variety of techniques to complete the 12 quilts and 13 small projects.

I have created a table of the pre-cuts used in this book so that you can see at a glance which pre-cuts each project uses. Have you seen some charm packs that you adore? Have you seen some jelly rolls on sale at a price you cant refuse? Have you got three jelly rolls and a charm pack in your stash and you dont know what the heck to do with them? Simply look at the table below to get a quick view of which projects you can use them for without having to read the fabric requirements for each and every project. The table also specifies where you need background fabric or supplementary pre-cuts or yardage.

The pre-cut requirements for the projects are shown with flower symbols; I have also indicated with small stars which other pre-cuts could be used for the same project. Using the guide to the yield of each piece in , it is simple enough to convert one pre-cut to another.

Once you have chosen your project, the requirements list on each pattern page will detail any additional requirements for binding, backing or linings.

Pre-cuts is the general term applied to those lovely little bundles of fabric found in quilting and fabric shops tied up with pretty ribbon. They come in all shapes and sizes but the most common ones found in quilting shops are charm packs which contain 5in (12.7cm) squares, jelly rolls which contain strips that are 2in (6.3cm) wide that are as long as the width of the fabric (typically 44in/111.8cm), and fat quarter bundles which contain varying numbers of fat quarters.

For those of you who have never heard the term fat quarter before, it refers to the way the fabric is cut. If you bought a quarter of yard/metre of fabric off the roll you would be buying a piece of fabric that is a quarter of a yard/metre in length and the whole width of the fabric (typically 9in 44in/22.9cm 111.8cm). A fat quarter refers to a quarter of a yard or metre that is cut by literally cutting the yard/metre into four quarters, so it would measure half a yard/metre long, and half the width of the fabric (typically 18in 22in/45.7cm 55.9cm) in length. Fat quarters on the whole tend to be more versatile than long quarters.

There are many fabric manufacturers who supply pre-cuts. The ones that produce the largest range are probably Moda and Robert Kaufman but Westminster, Riley Blake, Hoffman, Timeless Treasures, Art Gallery Fabrics and most other quilting fabric manufacturers also now produce them in various forms. There are also many quilting shops that put together their own pre-cuts and bundles. Ask at your local quilt store to see whether they do.

There are many different names for pre-cuts and the numbers of fabric pieces contained within each varies between manufacturers so bear this in mind when you are looking for them. The number of fabric pieces required for each pattern is also detailed in the individual patterns so double check the pre-cut you plan to use to ensure that you have enough fabric to complete the project! The various names and the number of pieces contained within each pre-cut is detailed here:

in (6.3cm) squares

Mini charm pack - 42 squares

5in (12.7cm) squares

Charm pack 30, 40 or 42 squares

Bali snaps 40 squares

Mini Tonga treat - 40 squares

5in (12.7cm) stacker 1 of each print in the fabric line

in (6.3cm) strips the whole width of the fabric

Jelly roll - 40 strips

Design roll 30 strips

Roll up - 42 strips

Bali pops - 40 strips

Tonga treat strips - 40 squares

Rolie polie 1 of each print in the fabric line

10in (25.4cm) squares

Layer cake - 42 squares

Ten squares - 42 squares

Tonga treat squares - 40 squares

Bali crackers - 40 squares

10 stacker 1 of each print in the fabric line

5in 12.7cm) strips the whole width of the fabric

Dessert roll - 20 strips

9in 21in (22.9cm 53.3cm) an eighth of a yard

Fat eighth bundle generally 1 of each print in the fabric line

18in 21in (45.7cm 53.3cm) a quarter of a yard

Fat quarter bundle - generally 1 of each print in the fabric line

There are many manufacturers that produce pre-cuts but what if your favourite line of fabric is from one that doesnt? The answer is to make your own.