Oh Lord, (or someone here) HELP! Pretty please
 

I have a piece of fabric 108x108. It's an odd shade of dark rose, so I thought I would use it for the back of a rag quilt. (color is good for that). Anyway, I need to cut it into 9" blocks. What a nightmare. I dont even have enough floor space to lay it out. I really dont have a clue where to start. Thought I would cut it into 9' strips, then cut the strips into blocks. Sounds good... right? But how do I get it to fold in the center and over and over to get it on my cutting board???? cant seem to get it to lay straight. Can anyone offer help here... ready to go back to crocheting
stuff. Thanks in advace, you people are the best!

Personally.... I would save it to use as the back of a large quilt. Just a thought.

I would love to but the color is not something I really like, and it goes so well with the cute little christmas squares I made. I have had this piece of material for I dont know how long, (I think it was in a box of fabric my daughter gave me a zillion years ago.) I pass by it so often, but never found a use for it. If I dont use it now I may never. Long explination, but that's why I dont save it. And if it were a color I liked, I would save it for sure because of the size.

you could snip the fabric at 10 inch intervals and tear the fabric in strips. then cut them down for your rag quilt blocks. have fun!!

I am not very expert at such things, but I think I would measure 90 inches make a snip in fabric and then tear it in half. The in half the other way, ect until it is in a workable size. You don't need to lay it out flat to tear (or rip) the fabric. Then procede with the 9" stips & squares. Just a thought.

Quilt backs are hard to come by. I'd never cut it.

Your reply makes more sense than mine, but hey, I am good at doing things the hard way. Yah, tearing in 10 inch strips is the way to go.

Cut it in half and than flold each half together and than start cutting the 9" squars blocks. I would cut length ways when you cut it in half. You can press it in half and than cut on the fold line. That is what I would do. Hope this makes sense to you.

You can rip it in half lengthwise and then fold it double and cut strips. I buy the wide backing fabrics and cut it for blocks. Backing is not hard to find at an online sale price and usually it's cheaper then regular yardage. Connecting Threads has great extra wide fabric for backing.

Patimint - you're on the same page as I. I would cut it into 4 sections, then work from there. Much more manageable if you just have to cut it up.

Tearing at 10" intervals is the way I would go. Good luck.

I'm a total novice so I know it's not the proper answer but I would just mess with one long strip or hunk the width of the fabric and cut blocks or strips from that. I am just learning to use the rotary cutter so a lot of times I still trace blocks. I'm practicing with the rotary cutter but I shake a lot so I always seem to push the ruler out of wack. If you don't want to use the fabric for anything else you don't have to worry about using every square inch and a smaller section is easier to to iron and handle all the way around. Good luck.:)

This sound like a good idea to me or even ripping at 9.5" intervals! Just be sure it would ravel enough for a ragged edge quilt. (It sounds like nice backing to donate to someone or an organization that makes charity baby quilts.)

When I have that large of a fabric, I fold it in half, then half again. I then will only iron the section I need and leave the bulk of it folded neatly so it's out of the way.

Pretend it is still on the bolt (hoping this makes it clearer), leave the bulk of it neatly folded and work off the end they would normally cut off at the quilt shop.

All of the above ideas from everyone else sound great for the type of rag quilt you are making, but if you just need a section of it for other quilting needs, just relax, iron what you need and cut.

I have a tremor that will sometimes make it hard to use many of my rulers. I find that my onmigrid rulers that have grid lines on the bottom that help grip the fabric. Glad for my go for lots of my cutting!

Thanks to everyone. I did rip it in the middle and then the other way. Man it was sure a lot better than trying to cut it. I dont think I could cut a piece that big in a straight line if my life depended on it. Now I feel a little guilty for using it for blocks... but you know... better blocks than Nothing at all. I dont know if I would have ever figured it out on my own... I never EVER thought of ripping it. As it turned out it came out in 4 almost identical pieces. Thanks again. Maybe someday I can help someone else... not today, still new enough to be needy. Lol

Andii, spray a little bit of basting spray on the back of your ruler. At first it will be very tacky and it will be a little trouble to position your fabric for cutting. But after a few cutting sessions, the tackiness will decrease, positioning fabric will be easier and your ruler will not slip. Before I tried this, my ruler was always slipping and, of course, my cutting suffered from my 'unkind' cuts. Since I sprayed the back of the ruler, my cutting has become much more accurate and my quilt tops show it!

You could probably get to the right amount of tackiness on the back of the ruler by gently rubbing some scraps over it and testing how well it holds on fabric afterward. Do that until the ruler has the amount of 'stick' to the fabric that you like.

I agree with the snip and tear. Then you'd also have a good straight of the grain. And go from there, however you choose to do it. I like the tearing for large pieces esp.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I do this all the time now for big pieces of fabric or long ones like borders. After driving my self crazy trying to smooth and cut and wasting fabric ,I tear.

I would save this large piece for a large quilt. Cut up a smaller piece for your blocks, even large scraps would work for a rag quilt, this would make it reversible even.

I agree with the oother nice ladies I would tear it

I'd leave it uncut too --especially if cutting it up turns into a case of frazzled nerves and/or cussing-

My thoughts too. You've got to get it smaller to work with it.

If you are using it for the back of a quilt, why are you doing it in 9" blocks? just use it whole.

That sounds like a good idea. That's probably what I would do. What is the fiber content of the fabric? That might be part of the problem with this fabric.

Usually this wide material is bought for backing. I just splurged & bought a piece for the Q/K quilt I am making now. I thought it would be much easier then piecing it. I would save it to use for backing if it were me.It would be hard to cut, I bet.Good luck what ever you do. :o Rowena101

She's making a rag quilt, you cut the backing the same size (?) as the block

Before you cut! Have you thought about re-dying the fabric to a color you would like? You can get Rit's dye at most grocery stores and it's really easy to do. I have done it on several occasions and it worked great. I even had a piece of hideous floral that was so ugly no one wanted it in a quilt, not even a give away so I throw it in the washer with some blue Rit's dye and it came out so pretty. Anyway, it's a thought.

you don't have to fold and cut it ALL at once. especially, if it doesn't want to lay straight. fold it in half length wise, for just say 20 inches. press it trying to get the selvages 2gether. cut ONE 9 inch strip to see, if your ironing and cutting is straight. make your 9 inch sq's out of only this 1st strip, to see if you are doing a good job. proceed one 9 inch strip at a time. you don't iron or fold until you get ready for the next 20 inches.

i have a very lg quilt that i have to sandwich together, and i don't have the roon either, i called our community hall and they said i can go their to put it together. did you try calling a hall near you to use to lay out your material.

Hi. I too would rip the fabric to produce straight edged, but I would fold once lengthwise, iron with starch, fold again and starch, fold agian untill you get a long 8 inch piece. Then with your cutting board and ruler cut into 8 inch squares and trim to 8 inchs again. Makes the facric easier to handle.

I agree...snip at 10" and tear the strips...press them and then you can fold and cut the 9" sections...once those are cut...you can trim the 10" sides down to 9". I just used this method to do some blocks for a quilt today...I was using a makeshift cutting area...so was limited on space also.

I would make a ten inch cut and rip it the width of the fabric. On the first cut I would go maybe 11 inches to get it straight and then make my blocks.

Want to make a rag quilt with a contrasting back. front is navy with white snomen centers. will post pics when done.

Tearing the fabric would be the easiest way, just snip & start tearing. Hope that works for you.

First don't cut, but rip it in at least half. Then rip it again in half. You then will have an easier piece to work with and it will be stright. Then fold the 4th in half again You should have a piece 27 inches wide by 54. You should be able to cut you 9 inch blocks. Good Luck, but that is how I would make my piece of fabric usuable.

Since you like the color for your quilt top, this is what I would do, except tear it in 10" strips so you can cut it exact. Tearing it damages the edges so you don't want that to be your final edge.
I am a longarm quilter and I know how difficult it is to deal with a large piece of fabric! Even getting a large piece squared for the back of a quilt is a chore! Patience, my dear!

Yep, I would cut or rip some off to make it a manageable size.

I am a tearer from way back. I intentually purchase the wide backing fabric when I can get a good price. I make at least 20 Linus quilts a month and it is one way to keep my expenses down. A new Joann's opened up near me recently. They are having their grand opening this weekend. Yesterday I purchased three yards of their 108" solid color backing fabric. With a 50% off coupon I will be able to get at least 4 teen size Linus quilt backs out of it for about $10. It is also a great way to get lengths for borders, straight of grain binding etc. Tearing is a great way to keep the grain straight and the size of the strips etc. exact.

Before you tear or cut make sure the salvages are together and the fabric hangs straight. I have worked with 108" fabric for 4 years and it is not easy but if it is not straight that is the pits. I don't know of an easier way but to tear it if it will tear.

If you really want to cut it - i bet your local quilt shop would do it for you.