Fat eighths are a great way to build up your stash for that next scrappy project. They can be just the right size for so many projects that a full fat quarter might just be a bit too much for. They're an affordable and fun way to add variety and color to your stash.
So what is a fat eighth you ask? A fat eighth is a piece of fabric that is 9" x 21 to 22" in dimension. Unlike a 1/8 yard a fabric which is 4.5" x 42" - long and narrow, a fat eighth is, well, fat and short. This allows for lots of versatility and sometimes, less fabric waste.
Fat eighths can easily be cut into a variety of smaller pieces for many different quilting units. You could cut charm squares (5" x 5"), mini charm squares (2.5" x 2.5"), a wide variety of strip sizes or rectangles for scrappy flying geese.
Since your fat eighths are usually sold in pre folded bundles, I would recommend pressing your them prior to cutting to get the most accurate cuts.
You'll go from this...
to this. Pressing the folds out will allow for more accurate cuts. Thanks to my Oliso Smart Iron, pressing is a dream!
*Sometimes*, I buy too much fabric! So I have leftover that I don't have room to store. I have decided to cut up some of my favorite yardage into some gorgeous bundles of fat eighths. Check out current bundles for sale in my Etsy Shop or my website. Sold out, thank you!
I am currently working with a very similar palette for my Harken Quilt during out Harken QAL and I'm so excited to see them all together in the finished quilt.
For this project, the bonus is that I have an extra 2.5" strip from each F8 that I will be using for a scrappy binding! Those are the folded up strips tucked in the top left corner of my basket.
What do you think about fat eighths? Love em, hate em, forget about them, prefer fat quarters, think they're the most fun little fabric unit to work with? Comment below and share your thoughts.
Happy sewing!