Having worked on only small pieces thus far, this is my first time cutting a large length of fabric; I need two - 68 x 3 ½ inches long for the border of a table runner, plus the accompanying backing. I’ve a three-yard length of fabric and want to cut it parallel to the selvage, but how do I accurately cut a piece this large? The thought of quickly messing up this much fabric with my rotary is giving me the willies. Can anyone guide me in this
process?

I am afraid I can't help you, I still struggle with this one and I do not want to be the one to steer your rotary wrong :lol: I bet by morning you have a few replys on this :D Can't wait to see it!

I may just go ahead and measure and mark the fabric at key spots to make sure I'm on target when I cut. I've read several articles in books but they never mention piece size.

Steve, that is going to be a long piece, hopefully someone with more skill than I can help you with that. I know you have to watch out for it swaying on you. Don't give up....you did a great job on the candle holder piece and I'm sure you will on the runner :lol:

I made a king size quilt in a class once and the teacher told me to just rip the fabric. It was scary, but I just held my breath and did it. It worked fine, the only problem I had was the edge was not a perfect clean line to work with when sewing it to the quilt top.

I think I just nicked the fabric right beside the selvedge, then nicked it again the right distance from the first rip.

Of course I was not working with fabric that had a border type print, that would have to be perfectly on grain to work.

Good luck.

I could tell you, but it is best to ask Patrice.... she would tell you better than I can....

hmmmmm ... i've only tried once to cut one long strip for a border. so of course i picked something with a slippery finish on top.

one thing i did some time ago was track down and purchase a 36" rotary ruler. i needed a 9 foot stretch, so i still had to fold the fabric. i put my mat on the floor and used my knee to hold the ruler in place. i probably had an elbow or two but i tend to not worry about such things unless the ruler slips waaaaay out of wack. i lay the strip down, line up the edges that are straight, pin it all in place, then ignore the elbow and focus on the straight line formed by the other piece of fabric or the top.

the long rip is certainly a sensible way to go, but i'd do a test rip first in case the fabric isn't woven evenly enough. clip about a half inch inside the selvage and rip down the length. measure to verify that your ripped strip is the same width all the way down. if it is ... go for it. if it isn't, clip and rip another inch to see if that comes out even. if it doesn't, you'll have to ignore the grain completely when you cut.

if you have a tile floor you can also do what i do when it's time to square up a top. run a straight line of string, held down at the ends with masking tape. line the first edge of your length of fabric up under the string. tape it into place with little bitty pieces in just a few places. measure and cut down the length in sections, moving the mat and keeping the ruler straight as you go.

(for a top i run all four strings using a carpenter's squaring ruler to form a frame the right size. then i move the top around underneath until it's centered the way i want it and trip carefully along the string.)

there's also the method used to mark straight lines on walls with a chalked, weighted string. tape a piece of weighted string to the wall near the ceiling. the weight will cause the string to hang straight. once the string has stopped moving, pull it taut and carefully tape it in place at the bottom. pull the string in the middle and let it snap back against the wall. you'll have a nice straight line. if you've lined up and taped your fabric to the wall under the string, you'll end up with a guideline to reference when you lay the fabric flat for cutting. (unless you're crazy enough to try cutting up the wall. :lol: )

all of which leads back to my tendency to ignore the little elbows. :wink:

P.S. thanks, Deb, for the compliment. i hope i just earned it. :P :?

Rip it! I always rip along the salvage, especially for my bindings. And Patrice is right...some fabrics don't rip easy, depending on the blends.. so do a test....if it is 100% cotton it should rip just fine tho.

There is not an easier way to do a long cut than the methods described by these ladies. BE SURE to listen to them about the test rip if you choose this method, especially on darker fabrics, as some of them tend to have a light colored or even white "glow" along the ripped edge, which may extend beyond your seam allowance. I'm sorry I am not explaining it very well, but if you ever see it, you'll know what I am talking about. Good luck!

what about folding it in half? that would give you only half of the length a more managable amount

Wow! I never in a million years think I'd be advised to rip fabric from a quilter, but hey, I just tried it and low and behold it works. I agree this is but scary to do at first. I might need to clean the edge a couple of threads (then too, that should fit into the seam allowance), presto chango; I've got a border.

Notes: Give it an extra 1/8th inch to accommodate the fuzzy sides and as mentioned, good fabric (weft and weave) is a must. Also, an added length lets you trim the ends of stretched material so be sure to have a large enough piece to do this.


Heck, I thought I was going to spend the day doing this rather than the couple minutes it took (talk about your time saver!), now what do I do with the rest of my day? HA! Quilt of course!

Another trick in old bag, thank you all so much. :thumbup:

"...rip fabric from a quilter" (What, and loose an arm?) HA! I made a funny. :lol:

This worked so well that I’m going tear the backing fabric the same way. Yay!

You'd be lucky to only lose an arm. LOL

Glad the ripping worked out for you.

LOL...yeah, don't you dare try to rip any fabric from my hands!!! LOL

I do know what your are talking about Carla....I usually rip sparingly and give myself room to do any necessary trim work....but I usually have the "fuzzy" edges in all my work as I rip alot!

Ripping is what my aunt always did, but I was afraid I'd be banned from this site if I suggested that. Glad some 'old' techniques are just too good to abandon.

Steve, go ahead and have a rip, roaring good time :!: :lol:

I have ripped it before and that works fine, but usually I just fold it crosswise. Trim off the selvedge and measure from your new cut edge.

You would be coming out of it lucky Steve to only lose one arm :lol: :lol:
Glad that it worked out for you :D

What I did forget, after just reading about it, is to ease a long length of fabric every 12 inches or so. Consequently I have a slight ripple on one side (learned lesson), though I think quilting the border and then trimming should take care of it since it is only a slight wave. If I hadn't done any easing at all it would have been a big mess. Taking out a 70 inch seam doesn't sound very fun huh? The piece looks good though, so the next step is getting my batting and backing ready, and then tack it. After that, I've got about a couple-hundred prairie points to cut and fold. Oh joy! :wink:

Patsy, I thought you were describing my efforts, seam ripper well seasoned and traveled!!

Sharon

When I plan a seamless border, I use a 3 yard length of fabric. I open it, and hold the fabric by one selvage edge. Then I begin to fold, lining up the selvage edges. I do trim the selvage edges when I get it all lined up. If you fold it into 4 layers, you will need to use a 24 inch rulrer and a small 12 in ruler, or you can slide the ruler carefully to extend the cutting edge to the remaining few inches. But with the measurement you need to cut, this should work very well for you.

If you plan to cut the border at the beginning of your project, the remainder of the fabric can be used in other parts of the quilt. A seamless border looks so nice.

I would never rip fabric when we have mats and rotary cutters to do the job. Ripping stretches the fabric. Sure, long ago women ripped their fabric, but why add an extra step (steaming it back into shape) when you can do it just as easily this way?

June in Cincinnati

When I went to New Orleans to visit a couple of weeks ago, the first thing my sister and I did after leaving the airport was to go to a qult shop on Magazine street. They rip everything that you purchase! Measure, snip and rip. That is the only way that I can get a straight piece. On occaision I have found that the grain doesn't run true, but not usually on the pricier pieces. So don't feel bad about ripping, even quilt shops do it.

Well, it worked this time and I liked the technique. I didn't really notice any stretching June other than the first inch or so. I was tearing long rips at a time and not starting and stopping. It only took about 3 or 4 tugs to get through the three yards and I trimmed the first couple inches from the project anyway. I love the rotary, but sure like this method too. :D

From what I understand about the way fabric is woven, to rip it from selvage edge to selvage edge does not stretch it as much as ripping the selvage edge longways. I have cut fabric "longways" to avoid seams in making valences and they began sagging (not a pretty sight, believe me). I usually fold it so I can cut 4 layers at one time.
When I sew a long seam such as a border, I always pin (which I know is not a popular technique among many quilters). I like the flower head type for all types of sewing.

Sis

Why?

Do you suffer from Anglejointinmiddleofborderphobia?

Make life simple. cut along the width and piece it together.

tim in san jose

Most of the time I do what Tim suggests. There are just a few exceptions -usually if the border is a solid fabric where a seam would be apparent or if the fabric is directional or has motifs that would clearly show a seam unless I matched it like wallpaper (even then I usually just match it like wallpaper! :wink: )

If your fabric is a non-directional print, seams will usually be hidden. The small difference in fabric flexibility is not likely to be a factor if you cut and sew carefully.

Often I will use a diagonal seam when joining border pieces. I can't remember why... I probably had a teacher tell me to do that or read it in a book or something...

I like the look of a solid border. The lengthwise cut will not stretch anymore than the other way. The secret is in matching points on the quilt with points on the border and pinning carefully. Using the walking foot is also helpful in keeping everything lined up correctly. If piecing is necessary seaming on the bias--laying 2 pieces at right angles to each other and sewing on the diagonal--makes the seam much less noticeable and spreads the thickness around more evenly. The same holds true for he binding. i have trouble cutting straight and accuraely so I tear my fabric and if it is dark do it a little wide just in case the "white fringes shows. That way it can be incorporated into the seam and trimmed after the fact if necessary. I figure it will be pressed eventually so its no more trouble to pess it after it is cut than before. The nice thing is that there is no quilt police so it is all down to whatever works for the individual. Now I will get off my soap box and get back to work! LOL

Having started out with the ripping method, I have to add - this is a great tension reducer and you can't beat the sound for a sense of empowerment.

No tim, just prefer to have the length if I've got it available. :D

ROTFLMBO!!!!!! :lol: :lol: Now I know what my problem is called!!

Tim, you just saved me $$$ getting my problem diagnosed :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cathe,

It's stronger than a simple butt joint.

tim

the only real phobia I have with borders is that I have to make them skinny cuz I'm still a "stitch in the ditch" machine quilter...haven't graduated to free motion yet and if you make the borders over 3" you have to have some type of quilting in them...(IMHO)....I am going to try to do a simple wave pattern on one someday soon....see how that goes!

butts? :shock: ... joints? :shock: ... this conversation in this forum has really taken a nose dive
8) :mrgreen:

P.S. simple wavy is good, CQ, and won't require dogless freemotion. crosshatch, or just diagonal lines are also easy to do in continuous lines using a regular (or walking) foot.

Well, Patrice...in all that stuff I got from my MIL I got some actual quilting patterns ...some in books and some on templates! I was thrilled...just need to learn how to use them now! LOL and one of the templates is a simple "s" wave...looks easy enuf to do with the walking foot...so am going to try it on a TR this next week...I hope!

it will be beeeeooooteeeeful. just you wait and see. :P

Just call me "Dr. Tim". How can I help you?

tim in san jose

i could use a shoebox of $50s, please

Dear Dr. Tim,
Every morning up on waking, I pour my coffee and sit at my sewing table and discuss with my singer our plans for the day. After pouring my second cup I go to the computer and spend and hour or two discussing quilting with other others who also enjoy this craft. The whole time that I am on the computer, I find my eyes drawn to my sewing machine, sitting there forlorn, alone, longing to be used…. I feel tremendous guilt for leaving it unattended. So, I cut my time short in the chat room to go to my machine… I lovingly dust it off and sit down and start sewing, a sense of peace and calm settles over me. But then, I glance over to the table, and there is my cutting mat, fabric and rotary cutter…. They look so lonely, wanting to do what they were made to do….so sad that they are being ignored. Now I am torn between the two, do I cut out more pieces, do I sew more pieces together, if only I had two more hands and arms! Oh no, now the fabric stash has got my attention….it is calling out to me, “come look at us, take us out, do not ignore us!” My memo board catches my attention, all the clippings and sketches staring back at me. Now what, I think as my computer dings… new emails, a sale at a quilting website, more fabric, threads, notions, I want to see what they have on sale, here is one on more free patterns, this one has pictures, another with instructions, but I need to quilt, I need to cut out fabric, I need to check my stash, write down more ideas…. Oh Dr. Tim, What Should I Do?????

Patrice...you just made me laugh so loud I woke Alicia!! LMBO!!! Rule here is if you wake 'em you watch 'em...so don't be surprised if fedx delivers a rather wiggly giggly box your way. (Just kidding she's way to cute to give away, even sleepy! :D )