I'm having problems when cutting strips long enough for binding, outside borders,etc. Keeping my cuts strait. If I had a 6' mat, maybe it would help. Any suggestions? I only want to make bed-sized quilts. My time is short & I want all my children & grandchildren to have a hand-pieced, hand-quilted quilt all their own, made by their mom/granny. Any help appreciated!

Sandie

You can cut fabric with rotary cutters when it's folded to four thicknesses. Would that help? If your mat is 35' long like mine x4 = 140" long or almost 12 ft long??
:) Marybeth

Fold your fabric into four layers as suggested. Use two rulers. With your 24"x6" ruler, make sure the fold next to your belly is straight along the edge of the ruler; then check and make sure the other fold is straight along another line on the ruler. Adjust and readjust until the folds are parallel.

Take a second ruler and measure the desired width, first at the belly fold and then slide this second ruler along the edge of the 24" ruler and make sure the measurement is the same at the other fold.

When cutting then, secure the 24" ruler with your hand closer to the belly, cut for a short distance, stop, move your hand toward the other end of the ruler, cut to the end.

When you have to butt two pieces of your binding together, cut your ends at an angle and stitch. This will distribute the thickness when applying the binding to the edge of your project.

Hope this helps. Suzanne

I suspect others do this as well, but I always buy a 3 to 3 1/4 yard length of fabric for my borders. That is done in the planning stages, unless I have made my blocks out os scraps. I fold it 4 times as suggested, (along the selvege adges) and cut off the selvege on the one edge I am cutting the borders from. I usually apply the side (vertical) boders first, since they are the longest. Then I apply the "head and foot" borders last. If you want to use the same fabric for binding (and I do) you still have that length of fabric to cut in strips ( if you want to make a straight binding) or you can cut the fabric on the bias for a bias binding (which I prefer.) It sounds like a lot of fabric, but if you cut it early in the process, you can use the left-over in making blocks for your quilt, so it does not appear to be a "foreign" addition to your quilt.

We are all happy to share what works for us. Keep asking.

June in Cincinnati