Originally Posted by craftinggrandma
I have read on the boards about the cutting mat getting groves in it. And some have said to turn it over and cut on it. I'm just learning about quilts and have only made rag quilts so my question is: How do you measure your fabric to cut it if there are no measurements on the back of the mat.
I know this is probably a dumb question but something i don't understand. LOL Thanks so much
You do NOT want to use your cutting mat to measure your pieces. Trust me, the lines are not correct on the mat! The lines on your ruler are created with laser precision; not so the mat. I didn't know this and for years I had problems with my piecing. It wasn't until I took a class and the instructor pointed this out that I discovered the problem wasn't me. My mat was actually off by 1/2 an inch all the way across. :shock: (You can picture me banging my head against the table in frustration!) Not all of them are off by that much but even 1/16th of an inch adds up when making a large quilt or trying to line up points.
You actually want to use your ruler. If you need to, take a permenant marker and mark a horizontal line and a vertical line on the back of your mat. This will give you a reference point for lining up your fabric. Then simply use your ruler to measure everything out. It takes a bit of adjustment but once you get used to it you will be amazed at how much better your piecing turns out.