Brioni Greenberg - Quick Projects with Jelly Rolls: Use Up Your Scraps with these Quick and Easy Projects

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 x 44in/22.9cm x 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 x 22in/45.7cm x 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 x 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 x the whole width of the fabric

Dessert roll - 20 strips

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

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

18in x 21in (45.7cm x 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.

All of these pre-cuts can be cut from your scraps, but here is the quantity you can cut from other pre-cuts and yardage.

Charm square - 5in x 5in (12.7cm x 12.7cm):

4 mini charm squares (2in x 2in/5cm x 5cm)

Layer cake square - 10in x 10in (25.4cm x 25.4cm):

16 mini charm squares

4 charm squares

Fat eighth - 9in x 22in (22.9cm x 55.9cm):

24 mini charm squares

4 charm squares

Fat quarter 18in x 22in (45.7cm x 55.9cm):

56 mini charm squares

12 charm squares

2 layer cake squares

Long quarter (yard) 9in x 44in (22.9cm x 111.8cm):

51 mini charm squares

8 charm squares

3 jelly roll strips (2 in x 44in/6.3cm x 111.8cm)

yard (0.4m) 18in x 44in (45.7cm x 111.8cm):

24 charm squares

7 jelly roll strips

4 layer cake squares

1 yard (0.9m) 36in x 44in (91.4cm x 111.8cm):

56 charm squares

14 jelly roll strips

12 layer cake squares

The smaller pre-cuts, such as mini charm packs, charm packs, jelly roll strips and layer cakes, are most commonly cut with a pinked edge (zigzag). There are a couple of things to note. The size of the pinking varies massively between manufacturers. Some are tiny and some are as big as 23mm from the top to the bottom.