There is a great new way to get a “taste” of four different fabrics … buy a half yard of just one piece of “fat eighths” fabric. This is new concept from designer, Marsha McCloskey, is called “Fat Eighths and Friends” is produced by In The Beginning Fabrics. Marsha’s line is “1930’s” reproduction fabric with four different designs all printed on one piece of fabric.

“Sometimes a 30’s quilt is perfect for just a smidgen of lots of prints. Marsha figured this out. The fat eighth fabrics have 4 different prints running from selvage to selvage. So, when you get one half yard of one of these fabrics you are getting 4 different  Fat Eighths. A half yard gives you 4 different 11” x 18” prints,” according to the Hancocks of Puducah website.

There are 21 different bolts of fabric in this line—which means there are really 84 different designs available for you to play with!

I talked with Marsha at market last fall, and she said that years ago fabric companies would print some fabric this way to make available several different patterns with one cut of fabric. And she brought this concept back. This is great way to buy four coordinated fabrics. Thanks, Marsha, for bring the great ideas of the past back to the cutting table.

(Here is an example of one 1/2 yard cut of the "Fat Eighths and Friends" fabric line.  Photo courtesy to Hancocks of Puducah.)