It does help! I am not liking this quilt as I am having a lot of trouble getting nice accurate cuts, but...it is a definite learning experience, and may in the end turn out pretty good....

Have you tried using a ShapeCut ruler to help cut the strips? I got mine at Wal-Mart. I don't know how I cut straight strips before I got this. You can probably google it and get a look at it.

Oh, it is a June Taylor Shape cut ruler.

I have to cut the shorter strips because I do not have a space long enough to cut WOF. It works for me just fine. I believe you have to do what makes you feel comfortable with what you are doing therefore you will enjoy the process.

Ahh, I have a June Taylor "perfect Diamond" cutter, but...will look for the shape cutter... it's my first time working with flannel, and oddly, while it is cotton, it does not act like regular cotton.

It is going to stretch in weird ways, especially if not prewashed. I think it stretches even when prewashed though. I just finished my queen size rail fence and I was glad to be finished!!!

I prewashed it and stuff, but really...I think after this one, I am going to stick with plain regular cotton.
Hopefully though my experiement will me good enough for the baby it is intended for!!!

Absolutely. That's what I was going to say is that flannel can be stretchy and difficult for even an experienced quilter to work with. Working with 100% cotton is so much easier. That's not to say that some people don't have any problem with it, but lots of people do. Glad you started using shorter pieces, I totally agree that will help. Good luck finishing your quilt - and the baby is going to love it!

I have to ask if you are using a rotary cutter? and are you folding your fabric in half....cutting 2 thicknesses at once? Most times when I am cutting strips, I will fold fabric down so I am cutting 4 at once....so much easier to work with and much faster done. And you are cutting from selvage to selvage, right?

the worst part is that I have another baby quilt to do, a "Millers Daughter" (Stars through the window) pattern and I have all the fabric for it (all 100% normal cotton). But I have to finish this one first.

Hope I make all the mistakes on this one....
and I do feel better hearing that some others have not always enjoyed working with the flannel...