Various tools and methods exist to cut straight even strips, but in the end it mostly comes down to how well your fabric is folded and how steady your cutting is.
Steps
- Prepare your fabric for cutting by pressing out all folds and wrinkles with spray sizing. Pressing is done with up and down of the iron rather than sliding side to side. The sizing will help stabilize the fabric from stretching.
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Fold fabric salvage to salvage, allowing it to lay flat while keeping salvages mostly lined up. If you have a long enough ruler and a steady hand at cutting, you can skip to trimming raw edges.
Fold fabric salvage to salvage, allowing it to lay flat while keeping salvages mostly lined up. -
Fold folded edge to salvage edges making sure fabric lays flat and that fold is evenly matched to salvage edges.
Fold folded edge to salvage edges making sure fabric lays flat and that fold is evenly matched to salvage edges. -
Trim raw edge square to second fold of fabric.
Trim raw edge square to second fold of fabric. -
Cutting 1 strip square to second fold of fabric and previously cut raw edge. Open it up to see if there are any "W" and waves in strip and correct before cutting the rest of the strips needed.
Cutting 1 strip square to second fold of fabric and previously cut raw edge. -
Every few strips, you may have to re-trim and square raw edge and/or re-fold fabric.
Example of cutting from poorly folded fabric
Tips
- When cutting from long lengths of fabric it is usually necessary to check squareness of cut and refold to continue to cut straight strips.
- Move your self instead of the folded fabric when at all possible and recheck folds after moving.
Warnings
- Always use safe rotary cutting methods.
Things You'll Need
- iron and ironing surface
- self healing cutting mat
- rotary cutter with sharp blade
- acrylic quilter's ruler
