A new one on me...

WHAT IS A FAT QUARTER?

A term used in patchwork and sewing.

It is a way of cutting a yard of traditional quilting cotton fabric in 4.

If you cut a quarter of a yard from a length of material you will get a strip 9 inches by 44 or 45 inches. Which is OK, but limited in ways that you can use it.

A fat quarter is cut in a different way. You cut half a yard of fabric and then cut this piece in half across the length. This gives you a piece of fabric approximately 18 inches by 22 inches (45.5cm by 56cm in metric). It is far more versatile for lots of projects.

For my niece's birthday - its what she wanted.