Elbows in my strips
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,537
Yep. Had this problem too. I fold fabric salv to salv. Press the seam. Fold the seam just up to the salv so the salv peaks above the fold about an inch. Using the marks on my 2" ruler, I place the ruler so the marks are along the bottom fold. Don't move the ruler. Look at the marks at the too of the ruler. If the folds are on the marks, don't tilt, the fold is straight and I can cut. You will have to trim and toss out a little bit.
If you are cutting from a large piece of fabric, you may have to keep adjusting your folds to keep everything straight. Sometimes fabric likes to creep. 8)
Please don't get frustrated. Quilting is a wonderful hobby. I've found playing with fabric and making something pretty out of fabric is great therapy. I'm a caregiver for my bedridden mother. Playing with fabric helps me get through the bad days.
Julie in NM
If you are cutting from a large piece of fabric, you may have to keep adjusting your folds to keep everything straight. Sometimes fabric likes to creep. 8)
Please don't get frustrated. Quilting is a wonderful hobby. I've found playing with fabric and making something pretty out of fabric is great therapy. I'm a caregiver for my bedridden mother. Playing with fabric helps me get through the bad days.
Julie in NM
#13
I have found that carefully pressing the folds before rotary cutting eliminates "elbows". Fold your fabric slowly and press each fold before placing it on the cutting mat in order to get strait strips from selvage to selvage.
Shelly
Shelly
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Alturas, CA
Posts: 9,393
Hi Scooter
I read a book by Marti Mitchell and she explained why she cuts with the grain, instead of selvage to selvage. Anyway, I never did do a lot of cutting selvage to selvage because of the "elbows" . Now I either cut with the grain or if I'm cutting selvage-selvage I lay it out flat, not folded.
Hope this helps.
I read a book by Marti Mitchell and she explained why she cuts with the grain, instead of selvage to selvage. Anyway, I never did do a lot of cutting selvage to selvage because of the "elbows" . Now I either cut with the grain or if I'm cutting selvage-selvage I lay it out flat, not folded.
Hope this helps.
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