The term “fat quarter” is used by quilters. It is a quarter yard or 1/4 yard of fabric cut differently.
A “regular” quarter yard is 9 inches by the width of the fabric. [9/36 inches = 1/4 yard] In quilting, regular quarter-yard cuts can be useful for strip piecing, when long strips of fabric are sewn together and cut into segments. But the 9 inch length can be limiting for other forms of quilting.
Fat quarters are 18 inches by half of the width of the fabric. This length (18 inches) gives quilters more flexibility in cutting pieces, whether they are piecing or appliquing. The illustration below illustrates how a fat quarter is cut.
