I don't understand what your saying, 3" line is on the fabric. My fabric is on the cutting mat and I'm putting my long ruler on top of the fabric. Could you explain it a different way. Thanks

will try...lets see...you lay your fabric on the mat, you need a 3" cut. lay ruler on the left of fabric, line up 3" line. make sure 3" line is on the fabric, not butted up to fabric. cut fabric...you should have perfect 3" strip. right? clear as mud

Linda is right, you want the line to be exactly on the edge of the fabric and not butted up against it. Even just a smidge over or under the line will add up when you are making blocks and it will really make a difference across the length and width of an entire quilt.

...Hmmm, can you take a picture of how you place your ruler on your fabric? That will allow us to see what you mean without continuing to confuse each other. ;)

I took a picture with a raggy piece of fabric hoping it will show up, hope so....

Line on edge of fabric is confusing me. 1st picture I have ruler just left of 5" line, 2nd picture I have ruler where you can see line thru ruler. Hope you can tell from these pictures. Are we talking about the same thing? Won't where I place my ruler on that line make a difference in size of block? I'm new to all this and sometimes I just don't understand. Thanks

did something wrong, only got one picture

ok got it, the 2nd picture is actually the first that I was talking about. Sorry about that.

You actually want your center line on the ruler to run through the very edge of your fabric. In picture #1 it looks like it is too far to the left and in picture #2 it looks too far to the right to me. ...maybe I should go take a picture and see if I can explain...

Okay, hope this works. I had to use a flash and the ruler really didn't like that. In the first photo I took, the line on the ruler is just to the outside of the fabric line. In the second photo it is just inside the edge of the fabric. The third photo I have the ruler line directly on the edge of the fabric. I know it doesn't look like much of a difference but it can really add up quickly.

I must really be slow because I don't have a clue what your doing. The ruler covers all your fabric, where is the strip that your cutting? In my photo I'm cutting a 5" strip, my ruler is on the 5" mark and I'm making my cut on the right along the ruler. My question is where should you place your ruler, to the left of the 5"mark as in the first picture of covering the 5" line as in the second picture. Are we talking about the same thing?

I'm looking at the fabric edge on the right hand side. If looking at the fabric from the left hand side, it's the center picture that would be correct. The black line of the ruler should be exactly along the edge of the fabric, not butted up to it or just in front of it.

Someone help. I don't feel as if I'm explaining this very well.