What am I doing wrong cutting long strips that they bow?
02-25-2011, 04:23 PM
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Illinois
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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.
Also you may want to turn the whole project 90 degrees to get a better working angle.
02-25-2011, 04:25 PM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Ayer Ma.
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Originally Posted by seamstome
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. Also you may want to turn the whole project 90 degrees to get a better working angle.
David
02-25-2011, 04:26 PM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Atlanta, Ga
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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.
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.
02-25-2011, 04:28 PM
#8
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Snohomish, Washington
Posts: 2,031
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...
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