I can NOT for the life of me cut strips..... They Never ever come out straight. Its like I'd be doing real good. Going slow and the dang ruler must move or something cuz my strips aren't the same all the way down. Ok I DO know I need those non slip deals for my rulers.. Now can't I just fold fabric in half again so its not so long to cut? Did I just make sense? Ok your fabric is folded. Fold on one end, salvage on other. Can I fold again, (sideways) If not making sense, I could take pics.... When I do individual squares...... perfect...... When I try sewing strips then cut .. .........forget it :cry: :cry: :cry:

Bev, that's the way I do it, where the lengthwise fold is parallel to the selvage, so you are actually cutting through 4 layers of fabric. You just have to be careful that you've got a neat fold, or you end up with strips with a V in them.

Ahhhhh ok. Thanks hun. It sure is frustrating. I wasted a half a yrd trying to strip piece my 4 patch for Davids skull quilt. One end was 4 inch the other end was 31/2...... :evil:

Yes, you definitely need to put something on the bottom of your ruler to keep from sliding. I used the little round sand paper looking circles I got from JoAnn's.

When you fold your fabric -- put selvadge edges together and fold, making sure fabric is straight (no wrinkles, etc.) Fold again toward the selvadge smoothing out all wrinkles. Now, you need to cut the fabric so that the edge is perfectly straight. After you do this, now begin to cut your strips. And guess what -- no "elbows" in the strips.

After cutting a few strips, recheck your straight edge and trim as necessary to keep it straight.

I saw this on Fons & Porter and it works for me!!

Cool. Thanks hun

I have a cool little gizmo that helps. It's a large square with slots cut every half inch. You just put your cutter at the bottom and run it up to the top. What's great about it is that you always cut straight, but then you don't have to reposition your ruler after the first cut--you just move your cutter over to the next slot. This thing is one of my favorite tools, and makes cutting strips a breeze.

Thats what I do also and for my rulers , I used a glue stick and scraps of sand paper, or take an emery board and slit that and use small pieces to do your rulers :D

Great idea :D

I've seen that used on TV. Aren't they quite spendy tho?

http://quilting.about.com/od/rotaryc...g_strips_4.htm

Check out other information
Also sign up for this site always has good information
:D :D :D :D :D

Hope this helps!!!!!

THANK YOU.... I see it done on TV all the time. I just can't seem to do it. I think my biggest problem is slipping ruler..... I'm gonna go to Joanns and check these out OR get sand paper at the Dollar store

no I don't. I gotta get embroidery floss today at Joanns, so will check it out AND those non slip dot deals

Do you have a hot glue gun? I put a small dab of hot glue on the top & bottom of the back side of my ruler & absolutely no more slipping! And if you want to remove it, just peel it off. I have found this to be a great solution to the slipping problem. Good luck!

hrmmmmmmmmm i do have one..... why on top?

Bev, I was having the same problem of the ruler slipping as I reached half way up, then I discovered if I spread my fingers and rest my little finger actually on the cutting mat it stabilises the ruler and alerts me if I am pushing it over as I feel the pressure more on my pinkie....so to recap : spread fingers as wide as possible using thumb as well, position little finger right at the edge of the ruler but on the cutting mat...hope this helps you, it certainly helped me, I like some of the tips here though, and will try a couple out soon :D

Just thought of another thing that you can do, ONLY cut a short area say 6" at a time, double check the ruler then do another short length...double check repositioning your hand further up the ruler as you go too!!

I'll try this. Whats hard is this darn weakness I have on my left side from brain tumor) Sometimes when I'm holding ruler down, my hand shakes a bit.

Sorry, I should have said "each end" instead of top & bottom.

Bev, I have the same problem. I've found (besides ironing and getting the fabric folded just "right"), I move my hand holding the ruler like a spider as I cut the fabric. When you finish, your "holding hand" has moved from the bottom of the ruler to the top keeping even with your rotary cutter. (be

I had the same problem until I read a book by Marti Michelle and she was saying that she cuts her fabric lengthwise not selvage to selvage. That's the way I do it now. My 2 cents worth. Hope you get some good tips.

Another thing I have found that helps me with cutting strips, is the ruler that has the cutter attached, I think it is made by Fiskar's. Have only seen it at Wal-mart. It somewhat has a rubber strip on one edge that helps to hold it in place while you are cutting and long enough that you can pretty much cut a regular fold of fabric normally.

Thanks everyone

I do this too, only in thin strips down the ruler. I havent had a problem with slipping since. And I'm a heavy pusher.

I'm gonna try it.... :D

The height of your cutting table is important.
Im short so cutting tables are to high for me. I bought a small stepstool that puts me well above the table. Now I have more traction when cutting and no more problems.

Have you considered cutting your fabric in lengthwise strips (parallel to the selvage) instead of crosswise?

When I cut my strips lengthwise, I at least will have two edges on grain.

I also do better with only a couple of layers at a time. Might take me a bit longer to cut stuff, but if I do goof up, there is less fabric wasted.

The other suggestions to make your ruler more slip resistant are definitely worth following.

Bev ~ I used to have the same problem and I attributed it to the fact that I wasn't able to apply the right amount of pressue on my rulers. My hands are small and I think some arthritis these days.lol. So, I bought a "Gypsy Gripper" and it has made all the difference in the world. It is a handle with suction cups that are applied to the acrylic ruler. Nita

Bev-these are all great tips. I have this same issue and I discovered that part of my problem was the angle at which I was holding my rotary cutter. If I hold the cutter lower and more parallel to the cutting mat then I was more likely to "shove my ruler" to the side and get a crooked cut. I now hold my rotary cutter higher-more upright, then I get a straight cut. You are only pressing down over the blade and not pushing the blade along. It really helped me. I have arthritis really bad in my thumbs, so I cannot spend a long time cutting at any stretch-I like for every cut to count.

That's what the gal told me yesterday when I was at Walmart......

There's a new tool called the Gripper (I think). It's basically a handle with suction cups that stick to your ruler, so you can just press down on the handle and you don't have to do that spider think with your hand.