Layer Cakes, Charm packs, precuts ... a rant.

Im new to purchasing precuts. This past month I bought my 1st layer cakes to make the Dresden Coin.
Imagine to my surprise and angst I might add that not all are cut identical. Some in the DYECUT pack are pretty short some almost a whole 1/4" shorter than the full 10" block.

My angst is directed towards the designers, it should be their job to make sure their manufacturer is correctly cutting each piece we pay full price for. How would the designer feel if we took the fabrics home on good faith then they go to collect the money from our bank and our bank said Oh I'm sorry Mr. Miller Janice doesn't quite have all of the $34.95 she only has 3/4 of the money.

So my question is are all of the precuts this way?

*my fingers are crossed in hoping someone will tell me, No Janice, they are not, you just got 2 bad batches*

Most of the precuts I use are from Moda. I haven't noticed a problem.

Sorry Janice, but don't use the precuts, I usually cut my own. But understand your issue(s). You could contact the manufacturer and let them know that there was an issue with consistent sizing. I'm sure they'd appreciate the input. So sorry!

I have found that they vary from one manufacturer to another and the last layer cake I got was actually a tiny bit big so yours might have been, too. The others might have actually been the correct size.

I recently had a precut from Marcus Bros. fabrics that included a selvedge along one edge. Luckily, a fold in the fabric had caused it, so it was actully longer then it needed to be and I could trim it up. Even among the same manufacturers things vary, I combined two Moda charm packs for a quilt and one was about 5-1/8” and the other was ran a scant 4-7/8”. Generally differences are slight, but occasionally you’ll get a real weird one.

From experience, I have learned to use Moda pre cuts. Every once in a while, because it's a solid or a fabric line that I just LOVE & cannot live without I will buy another manufacturer....but I do my very best to stick with Moda.

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Originally Posted by JaniceB

My angst is directed towards the designers, it should be their job to make sure their manufacturer is correctly cutting each piece we pay full price for.

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Why? It's the manufacturer's job to make sure their product is up to snuff, not the designer's!

Those of us who use precuts pretty much have the same issues. Some say Moda is the most accurate (and they may well be, but I have had Moda precuts that weren't perfectly cut, so they aren't infallible).

I rarely buy precuts anymore for this very reason. Until quilters stand up and say we will not pay a premium price for an inferior product, they have no financial reason to put more time, effort and energy into making them more accurate.

Sorry this happened to you though. I've been there and I feel your frustration.

No pre-cuts for me, and that's just one reason. Another reason would be it increases the cost of fabric by half, and I HATE that.

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Originally Posted by Suzette

Those of us who use precuts pretty much have the same issues. Some say Moda is the most accurate (and they may well be, but I have had Moda precuts that weren't perfectly cut, so they aren't infallible).

I rarely buy precuts anymore for this very reason. Until quilters stand up and say we will not pay a premium price for an inferior product, they have no financial reason to put more time, effort and energy into making them more accurate.

Sorry this happened to you though. I've been there and I feel your frustration.

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No, Moda is not infallible.....but I have found them to be the *MOST* accurate of all that I have purchased, they are not PERFECT. I got a riley blake LC once & the supposed 10" squares varied from about 9 1/4" to 10 1/2", now that was frustrating.

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Originally Posted by JaniceB

Im new to purchasing precuts. This past month I bought my 1st layer cakes to make the Dresden Coin.
Imagine to my surprise and angst I might add that not all are cut identical. Some in the DYECUT pack are pretty short some almost a whole 1/4" shorter than the full 10" block.

My angst is directed towards the designers, it should be their job to make sure their manufacturer is correctly cutting each piece we pay full price for. How would the designer feel if we took the fabrics home on good faith then they go to collect the money from our bank and our bank said Oh I'm sorry Mr. Miller Janice doesn't quite have all of the $34.95 she only has 3/4 of the money.

So my question is are all of the precuts this way?

*my fingers are crossed in hoping someone will tell me, No Janice, they are not, you just got 2 bad batches*

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I'm going through this right now with an RJR layer cake. My Incarnadine layer cake is not only various sizes from 9 3/4" to 10 1/4". The large floral prints were cut crooked! I thought I had the problem solved, but then I realized late last night I had set aside several pieces to figure out what to do with them later. I thought I had solved the problem by trimming all the squares to be 9 3/4. But no. With those rascals that got away from the main herd, I now have to retrim everything down to about 9 1/2. Now the quilt size will be too small and skimpy. I am really ticked. I also had a bad experience with a Free Spirit layer cake. I love the layer cake for it's versatility and because I can pick up one on a DD just because I like it. But it isn't worth it for hours of fiddling and eventually, buying even more fabric to be able to finish a piece. I've had it.

Maybe if we all start complaining to the manufacturing company they will decide to get their act together. I think if we spend extra $$ for precuts they should be accurate. I've only had one issue with a layer cake that was large. There's really no way it makes sense for them to have do many miscuts. Every time we get a bad batch the company, not seller, should be making it right.

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Originally Posted by vchale

Maybe if we all start complaining to the manufacturing company they will decide to get their act together. I think if we spend extra $$ for precuts they should be accurate. I've only had one issue with a layer cake that was large. There's really no way it makes sense for them to have do many miscuts. Every time we get a bad batch the company, not seller, should be making it right.

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I agree! We need to notify each and every manufacturer when the precut is defective. Chances are some of us have bought the same precut here and we need to let them know that these quality issues are not acceptable when accuracy is so important to our finished quilts! We need to let forum members know what line is in question too!
When I return from vacation I'm going to try to line up some of the manufacturers email and phone numbers so we can make our complaints known. Then I will share the info with all!!

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Originally Posted by irishrn

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When I return from vacation I'm going to try to line up some of the manufacturers email and phone numbers so we can make our complaints known. Then I will share the info with all!!

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That will be a great service. Thank you.

Rants are good - however, nothing (and no one) is perfect . . .

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Originally Posted by Terri

From experience, I have learned to use Moda pre cuts. Every once in a while, because it's a solid or a fabric line that I just LOVE & cannot live without I will buy another manufacturer....but I do my very best to stick with Moda.

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I will remember that from now on, thanks for the advice.

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Originally Posted by Sandy Navas

Rants are good - however, nothing (and no one) is perfect . . .

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true true true!!
I was just surprised at how faulty a dye cut pack would be. live, learn and move on.

I guess a complaint to the manufacturer would be wise and perhaps even sending the product back with a request for a refund. Maybe if enough people complain they'll make more of an effort to be consistent in their sizing. Just remember, with most retail items on the market some are good quality and some are not. It's just the way of the world. Best to figure out which manufacturers you think do a good job and stick with them.

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Originally Posted by Midge

I'm going through this right now with an RJR layer cake. My Incarnadine layer cake is not only various sizes from 9 3/4" to 10 1/4". The large floral prints were cut crooked! I thought I had the problem solved, but then I realized late last night I had set aside several pieces to figure out what to do with them later. I thought I had solved the problem by trimming all the squares to be 9 3/4. But no. With those rascals that got away from the main herd, I now have to retrim everything down to about 9 1/2. Now the quilt size will be too small and skimpy. I am really ticked. I also had a bad experience with a Free Spirit layer cake. I love the layer cake for it's versatility and because I can pick up one on a DD just because I like it. But it isn't worth it for hours of fiddling and eventually, buying even more fabric to be able to finish a piece. I've had it.

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Yea thats full of fail, on the manufactures part. Its a shame you have to trim down a whole 1/2" to accommodate the short pieces.

I just want all the squares in a pack to be the same 10" not larger or smaller just 10" that your project is calling for.

I tossed all the short ones aside bc I bought the MSQC Dresden ruler and the short fabrics were well to short, Im not sure what I'm going to do with all the short squares, sure I can cut them down but wow such a waste of fabric and money.

I love that MSQC Dresden ruler and when the square is the correct size the ruler is a awesome tool, they are like BFF's! To make my life a little easier I ended up buying yardage here at MSQC and cutting my own 10" squares to work with that ruler.

Good luck with your quilt!!

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Originally Posted by JaniceB

A plus side to a forum where ppl from all over meet and share the good and the bad, and as I read I can learn which manufactures are friendly and sympathetic to a quilter lol -

Those were my 1st precuts and I wasn't sure if that was a normal occurrence or I just got a bad batch. Im learning a lot here on the forum. Im thankful its here to share and learn from others.

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A plus side to a forum where ppl from all over meet and share the good and the bad, and as I read I can learn which manufactures are friendly and sympathetic to a quilter lol -

Those were my 1st precuts and I wasn't sure if that was a normal occurrence or I just got a bad batch. Im learning a lot here on the forum. Im thankful its here to share and learn from others.

Attachment 88144 this was from Benatex, and at least 15 were like this, the middle measured 9 1/2 so I decided to do the zipper quiltAttachment 88145 cut it up like this. I e-mailed them twice, no response. Now I pretty much buy yardage and cut it myself.

I love pre-cuts for the simple reason it takes much of the guess work out of deciding colors and matching fabrics, etc. I mostly purchase Moda fabrics - I just like their designs and the quality of fabric - I've not had any problems with the size - however, I am not super fussy about stuff and will make it work regardless. I stick to name brands for my pre-cuts - I have purchased and used many Robert Kaufman fabric pre-cuts too and I really like them.

It is frustrating and if I were a designer, I would want them done correctly. Would not want my name connected to poor precuts.

With the precuts being poor lately, I have switched tp purchasing fat quaters and half yard fabrics. I know I get less of the different designs in a line, but this way I can choose just the prints I really like. So far, I have liked what I have purchased this way. But rightnow I have been working hard on using my stadh, so I am working with many jelly rolls and charms, and several layer cakes

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Originally Posted by JaniceB

Im new to purchasing precuts. This past month I bought my 1st layer cakes to make the Dresden Coin.
Imagine to my surprise and angst I might add that not all are cut identical. Some in the DYECUT pack are pretty short some almost a whole 1/4" shorter than the full 10" block.

My angst is directed towards the designers, it should be their job to make sure their manufacturer is correctly cutting each piece we pay full price for. How would the designer feel if we took the fabrics home on good faith then they go to collect the money from our bank and our bank said Oh I'm sorry Mr. Miller Janice doesn't quite have all of the $34.95 she only has 3/4 of the money.

So my question is are all of the precuts this way?

*my fingers are crossed in hoping someone will tell me, No Janice, they are not, you just got 2 bad batches*

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Recently I had an issue with Pre-Cut I bought from Missouri Star, I called to let them know they immediately replaced them and I sent back the defective Pre- Cut which they let the manufacturer know there was a problem. This happens with any product on the market at one time or another.

I have never had any problems with precuts..... Sorry you has such a bad experience... I pretty much stuck to Moda, but have used other brands....

I am not a pre cut person but have bought a few here and there. The Cake layers I bought last Cyber Monday...once pre washed (I pre wash everything..pre cuts in lingerie bags) and they shrunk up to 3/4 inches! Some did, some didn't and I can't use them for 10x10 squares. After that, I just stick with cutting my own. Plus, I have heard nearly everyone has this same problem..seldom do I hear anyone say theirs have always been same size. So, unless the pre cut package is a specific pattern or print that I can't get anywhere else...I just don't buy pre cuts....of any size except. CLosest I get are fat quarters

I haven't had the issues with precuts that many have spoken of. Other than all the little threads shedding on me ...

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Originally Posted by shirleyknot

No pre-cuts for me, and that's just one reason. Another reason would be it increases the cost of fabric by half, and I HATE that.

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This is not true. Fabric is @ 10.00 a yard... a Layer Cake is right at 3.5 yards and cost 35.00.... how is that an increase in price?

Same with charm packs... right at one yard and costing 8.95.

You can figure up the same on the jelly roll...

I personally have not had any problems with wonky cut precuts. I like them. I use them...

Attachment 88238

I was surprised to find a charm pack I bought this weekend was 1/4" big in both directions. In the photo the top charm pack is by Moda and is 5" exactly (bought at MSQC). The one underneath is also by Moda, bought at Hancock's of Paducah (at the brick and mortar store). I guess I'll cut it down.

You know, I would think this would be one of the best places to discuss these types of problems, especially if MSQC read this and can use it. They were able to get all the charms/layers/etc they sell to be equal amounts so I would think they have some serious sway with the manufactures.
Seems like they would be able to hold their feet to the flame, so to speak.

I ran into a bit of a pickle with some fabrics in one pack being quite wrong in sizing. I didn't bother M*SC because it was at the manufacturer I felt the problem existed. So I wrote them a nice letter,(very politely explaining how "emotional" quilters are about their fabric selections and being let down can mean boycotting the entire company's product line....once bitten, twice shy), sent the pieces that were not properly cut so they could see for themselves and maybe rectify whatever the problem was on their cutting line. I kept the whole tone of the letter as business. I justified the time I spent doing this by realizing if I didn't at least give them a chance, I was as much to blame for the situation as they were.
Being a realist (and often quite jaded), I really did not expect a reply. But I got one.....a letter thanking me for taking the time to bring this to their attention, apologizing for inconveniencing me, and sending me not only the replacement squares in the right size (which is all I really asked for); they added a full charm pack! I made a special point of sending back a thank you letter expressing not only my astonishment at their generosity but how much it pleased me to see that they really cared about customer service.

My point is that some businesses DO care about the quality of what they are making. So, to be fair, tell them! Just keep it in a completely business and professional tone and you might be amazed at what happens. As my granddaddy used to say, "Folks have a tendency to live up to the lowest expectation.....so if you want 'em to be more, expect more."