How to Cut a Fat Quarter into Strips and Squares
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Fat quarters and quilters go together like peanut butter & jelly. Quilters LOVE their fat quarters, and there’s a good reason why! Fat quarters are a quarter yard of fabric that measures 18″ x 21″. This size allows for large pieces to be cut from the fabric, unlike a typical narrow quarter yard strip of fabric.
Fat quarters are sold in curated fat quarter bundles, which means you can easily get coordinating fabrics in a quantity that works for all different types of quilt patterns and sizes.
You may find yourself with a fat quarter bundle wondering exactly how to cut a fat quarter in a way that makes sense, or wondering how many fat quarters you need to make a quilt.
Well, I’ve done the quilt math for you! In this post, I’ll share exactly how many squares and strips you can cut from one fat quarter.
How Many Squares Are in a Fat Quarter?
Instead of having to do the math yourself every time you’re cutting up your fabric, use this table to help you figure out how many squares you can cut from one fat quarter.
These measurements are based on an 18″ x 21″ fat quarter.
| Square Size | Number of Squares |
| 1″ | 378 |
| 1.5″ | 168 |
| 2″ | 90 |
| 2.5″ | 56 |
| 3″ | 42 |
| 3.5″ | 30 |
| 4″ | 20 |
| 4.5″ | 16 |
| 5″ | 12 |
| 5.5″ | 9 |
| 6″ | 9 |
| 6.5″ | 6 |
| 7″ | 6 |
| 7.5″ | 4 |
| 8″ | 4 |
| 8.5″ | 4 |
| 9″ | 4 |
| 9.5″ | 2 |
| 10″ | 2 |
| 10.5″ | 2 |
| 11″ | 1 |
Download this free fat quarter cutting cheat sheet so you can save this information for later!
How Many Quilt Squares Can I Get From 1 Fat Quarter?
There are so many ways you can cut up one fat quarter and turn it into smaller manageable pieces to use in your quilt. Use the table above to reference how many squares you can get from one fat quarter.
I’ll go into more depth with each of the most popular quilting square and strip sizes below.
How Many 2 1/2 Inch Squares Are in a Fat Quarter?
You can cut 56 2.5″ squares from one fat quarter.
Pre-cut 2.5” squares are called Mini Charm Squares or Mini Charm Packs. They are typically sold in packs of 42 squares.
You can make your own Mini Charm Pack from just one fat quarter.
How Many 5 Inch Squares Are in a Fat Quarter?
You can cut 12 5” squares from one fat quarter.
Pre-cut 5” squares are called Charm Squares or Charm Packs. They are typically sold in packs of 42 squares.
If you want to make your own Charm Pack, you’ll need to cut a total of 42 squares. In that case, you’ll need 4 fat quarters.
Looking for a quilt pattern for 5″ squares? Check out my free quilt pattern called Charming Sawtooth. It uses 1 charm pack and 1 yard of fabric!
How Many 10 Inch Squares Are in a Fat Quarter?
You can cut 2 10″ squares from one fat quarter.
Pre-cut 10” squares are called Layer Squares or Layer Cakes. They are typically sold in packs of 42 squares.
If you want to make your own Layer Cake, you’ll need to cut a total of 42 squares. In that case, you’ll need 21 fat quarters.
Looking for a quilt pattern for 10″ squares? Check out this list of 30 Free Layer Cake Quilt Patterns!
How Many Strips Are in a Fat Quarter?
Strips are a staple in quilting and a great way to use up your fat quarters. These measurements are based on cutting the fat quarter by the width of the fabric. In other words, the strips will be 21″ long.
These measurements are based on an 18″ x 21″ fat quarter.
| Strip Width | Number of Strips |
| 1″ | 18 |
| 1.5″ | 12 |
| 2″ | 9 |
| 2.5″ | 7 |
| 3″ | 6 |
| 3.5″ | 5 |
| 4″ | 4 |
| 4.5″ | 4 |
| 5″ | 3 |
| 5.5″ | 3 |
| 6″ | 3 |
| 6.5″ | 2 |
| 7″ | 2 |
| 7.5″ | 2 |
| 8″ | 2 |
| 8.5″ | 2 |
| 9″ | 2 |
| 9.5″ | 1 |
| 10″ | 1 |
How Many Quilt Strips Can I Get from 1 Fat Quarter?
The number of strips you can get from a fat quarter depends on the width of the strip you need. I’ll go into detail about the most common strip sizes below.
How Many 1 1/2 Inch Strips Are in a Fat Quarter?
You can cut 12 1.5″ strips from one fat quarter.
1.5″ strips are a common size for sashing between blocks and braided quilt designs.
Packs of 1.5″ strips are called Honey Buns and if you want to make your own, you’ll need roughly 8 fat quarters.
How Many 2 1/2 Inch Strips Are in a Fat Quarter?
You can cut 7 2.5” strips from one fat quarter.
2 1/2″ strips are great for sashing and can be used for jelly roll friendly quilt patterns.
Keep in mind the length is only 21″, so you’ll need roughly 12 fat quarters to equal 1 jelly roll.
I hope this math breakdown and the cutting diagrams are helpful to you! Be sure to download the free cheat sheet so you can save this information for later!
Other Posts You May Like:
How Many Fat Quarters Do I Need to Make a Quilt?
Why is My Rotary Cutter Not Cutting?
5 Ways to Stop a Quilt Ruler from Slipping
How Many Squares in a Yard + Cheat Sheet
How Many Strips in a Yard + Cheat Sheet
Very interesting. Now to keep it so I can refer to it when I need it. Thank you
Thank you so much for that information, it will definitely help for future projects.
Have a wonderful day
Cheers Wendy
Great information
Fabulous 🤩. This is so helpful. Thank you
This is a real help, Great infomation
Thank you so much for the information. I think it will help me to use up some of my fat quarters.
Thank you!
Thank you Hailey, and yes, the diagrams are really helpful! Thank you so much.
Thank you for all the useful information. 🪡