Luckily I cut them 2 3/4 for 2 1/2 strips so I can clean them up. It is folded fabric that I am cutting the long strips from
TIA
David

David,
I never have been able to cut a straight strip. I have bought every gadget, strip mats, etc., and finally resigned myself to buying the Go! NOW I cut straight strips.

Good luck.
MJ

There is a youtube on how to cut. It was posted here once and was very good. I find that I starch the fabric, line it up, hold the ruler tight to the mat and keep the blade of the cutter perpendicular to the ruler. Trim a little off along the length of the ruler just in case you dont have the fabric square.

Also you may want to turn the whole project 90 degrees to get a better working angle.

Thanks MJ, I will definitely take that in consideration!
David
ps. cute pup!!!

I didn't starch...stupid,stupid,stupid
David

David,

Me, too. Are you squaring off the end first? And open each strip after you cut it and square it off again if it's crooked. You might need to do it as often as every 3 or 4 strips. I have found I need to put some pressure on the ruler and you will probably need to use sandpaper dots, InVisiGrip or some type of thing to keep the ruler from skidding around. It's also supposed to help if you walk your hand up the ruler as you cut (stop cutting when you walk your hand). My quilt instructor suggested cutting fabric doubled once and held up selvedge to selvedge and then moved back and forth so the fold lies even. Then is when you lay it on your mat and then square it off. Use your longest ruler and a small square next to it to even it up, then move the small ruler out of the way. I hope you can visualize what I'm saying. Good luck with it, it has gotten easier for me.

Maybe not so stupid. There are many ways :-) I never starch.

I have decided that I need to unfold the fabric and use my longest ruler. Eleanor Burns said on one of her Quilt in a Day T. V. shows that if the bottom edge of the fabric is not straight up against a straight line, it will cause bowing, but I don't get that...

I wasted so much fabric having V shape cut strips that I saved money buying the Go. The GO Baby is worth it if you only cut strips with it.

I never starch but do square the fabric 1st and then every 2 or3 (?) if I get off. As long as I apply pressure on the ruler the whole way up you should be good to go.

I always make sure that I line up the ruler with the folded edge of fabric so I dont get the bow.

AWESOME Tips !!!
Thank you all so much!
I'm so happy the fabric was only a remnant from Joann's LOL
David

I'm like 'spinnergs' Line up the ruler markings with the fold of the fabric.

Also, make sure that a line of your ruler is lined up with the fold of the fabric at the bottom. If the line isn't exactly on the fold, the cut will bow. The wider the cut, the more room for error/distortion, which is why with wide cuts you may need to square up your fabric more often.

Mary Jane, love your new pic!!!!!!!!! What a sweet baby too :D

David, it's a common problem in strips. You do not have to starch to cut properly. Press your fabric thoroughly before folding in half (selvage to selvage). Heartwarming described the cutting technique I use also. I begin by evening out the top of my fabric, use my fold line as the "straight" and continue to check and even every 2 strips. With the constant pressure of my forearm on the long ruler, I no longer get the dip in the center. I hope this helps....but if I can answer any other questions, please let me know. =)

I do this as well. If you are using fabric that is not quilt shop quality, (lower thread count) you could have more distortion cutting, sewing and ironing. Starching it would go along way to help you. Hope this helps.

Good Point, Pieces...I use quilt shop only and forget that this is an issue for quilters. Thank you.

Ditto. :thumbup:

I tear mine the old fashioned way and have never had a problem.

Yeah this was from the remnants basket at Joann's
Thank you!
David

Thank you for noticing my new picture! This is Sammy, he is 11 and my constant companion.

Good lucik DAvid

Hi David, don't you hate those curves in your strips? One of my favorite things is my June Taylor Shape Cut. To cut selvage to selvage I had to fold the fabric then fold it one more time. It seemed I would get the little L curve at each fold and nothing I did seemed to make any difference.
I now have a lip edge ruler and a Gypsy Gripper. The Gripper's equivalent can be found in a hardware store and Bed,Bath & Beyond. The lip edge on the ruler keeps me from sliding and the gripper keeps my hand away from the rotary cutter and lets me keep presser on the ruler through the complete cut. I haven't had an L curve since I began using them. You have had lots of good suggestions to try. Good luck.
http://www.overstock.com/search?keyw...rchType=Header
http://www.overstock.com/search?keyw...rchType=Header

I never starch and never have a problem. I now have a strip die which is AWESOME.

Well, I'm not a fabric snob, so I use fabric from all different places and haven't found this to be true. It depends on the cutter, not the fabric in MNTBHO.

Mary Jane,I think you would agree with me on this: life would not be as good w/o our furbabies!! :D:D
David- sorry I got sidetracked here lol :D

<~~LOOOOVES furbabies! Not a problem at all!David

David, use your little finger to brace the ruler when cutting to get a straighter cut, and make sure the fold is not creased hard. It works for me anyway.

I cut long strips lengthwise, don't have any bows then.

Squaring off is what I meant by trimming. No you dont have to starch but if you have a thinner fabric it sure helps alot. Remember the ruler is alot like a measuring cup, you have to look directly down on it to read it properly. I also use an Olipfa with the lip which helps.

Keeping the blade perpendicular sounds so easy until you try to do it. You might be turning your wrist as you pull up toward the end.

Practice in front of somebody who teaches or works at your LQS. They will be able to correct any bad mechanics in a heartbeat.

Do exactly as Gaigai has shown you & you should be fine. You can look at the ruler & tell when fabric needs straightened again. Also do you open your fabric, shake it & make sure the salvages are even? When it's put on the bolt, it sometimes gets distorted so I realign it by refolding it lining up the salvages too. Good luck!

Sooooooo many great tips!!!!!!!
Thank you all!
David

I use the june tailor shape cut slotted ruler, you can cut in 1/2 in increments, makes strip cutting a lot easier for me. I have a harder time with just the plain ruler

Make sure before you straighten that your fold hangs straight without any ripples. Hold the selvage ends in your hands and shift until your fold is straight. Learned this in the Fon's & Porter's Basic Guide to Rotary Cut Quilts. Makes a huge difference.

The more times you fold your fabric the more likely you are to get a bow in it. I used to have the issue until asking my grandmother about it. She had me show her what I was doing. The first thing she said was I was folding the fabric too much to make it fit my ruler/cutting board. I would end up with a bow at every fold. I went and bought a huge cutting mat and a long ruler. I have never had a bow again. Also like everyone else mentioned make sure you are squaring and straightening your fabric.

I agree that the edge of ruler needs to be exactly lined up with the fold of the fabric. Keep that edge toward you. If it's 22 inches away, you can't get as clear a view. Do not use the selvages as your straight edge. I assume you are using a ruler at least 6 inches wide. If not, you can butt another ruler up to it check for exact straightness. I always straighten the fabric first, whatever it takes and keep an eye out for any loss of exactly straight after a few cuts.

First, I match the selvages and make them even...I pin the fabric then press...then I square off the fabric...I use 2 rulers...I put my 12 inch ruler along the fold line, 12 inches acoss so I know that my ruler will be a perfect straight line...then I line up my long 24 x 6 inch ruler next to it, also placing it along the fold line...I remove the 12 inch ruler and then I cut...NOW I know I have a perfect 90 degree angle...and my strip will not be bowed... if your fabric is not perfectly even along the selvages, then you will get a bowed strip...thr trick is also to have a nice wide ruler , 6 inches at least, so taht you can really see clearly if the ruler runs along the fold line..

David,
Anita Grossman Soloman at Make it Simpler has lots of good ideas but a really good way to start out is not to try cutting 22 inch strips. Fold your fabric in half again or just cut it so you aren't working with such long strips. Then your ruler won't slip on you so much. Simply Quilts- Alex Anderson also shows you some helpful ideas about squaring up the fabric. Go to Leah Day at http://www.daystyledesigns.com/, she has some helpful videos for free.

The fabric is not on grain, it's that simple. I have always realigned the fabric, never use it the way it comes off the bolt.

Unfold the fabric,, press out the center, hold the 2 selvages edges together, move the fabric left or right untill there is no distortion in the folded edge. There will be bumbs & bubbles in the fold when it is not straight, but as soon as the grain is aligned, the fabric will lay smooth.

I then lay it on the ironning board, press from selvage edge to fold, being sure to keep selvages together. If you get a bubble when pressing, it's still not onn grain.

Have done this method for over 40years & it works, just a little practice to learn.

Good luck