Jeanne S

All the other advice is on point. I would also add a couple of very basic points: be sure to iron your fabric before cutting as any wrinkles will really cause cuts to be off. Also be sure your cutting mat is on a hard flat surface--I used to set my mat on an ottoman and cut sitting in front of the TV and the pressure of my rotary cutter would cause a slight bend in the mat and resulted in slightly curved strips. Lastly starch your fabric before cutting helps and having a non-slip film on the underside of your ruler helps prevent it from moving that little bit that can also give you a wonky strip!

GailG

This is how I cut sashing: If I need a 12 1/2 inch sashing, I cut a 12 1/2 inch piece WOF (width of fabric). Then I cut the 2 1/2 inch sections for the sashing. This puts the sashing on the straight of grain. This helps to keep the blocks square.

ILoveToQuilt

Welcome Dispatch! What a "thankless" job you've got! LOL (I'm a former big city EMT married to a former EMT/firefighter and daughter is a medic...many cops in family) so I KNOW the stress and #*^% you deal with daily! LOL Definitely try to make the time to quilt, even if it is only 15 minutes a day. There are a lot of hand projects you can work on (like yo-yo patches, redwork, etc) on breaks or lunch. Just a thought. Hope you guys didn't get too much more snow today. We lucked out in New England - no snow today at all! Again, welcome to the board. This is a fantastic group of folks here!

Don't mean to "hijack" the thread, but I had a question about the June Tailor ruler. Is this the ruler that has "slots" cut into it that your rotary cutter fits into? Just wondering. Will have to watch one of the videos to see how it works.

Anita

Cass62

As a fellow 911 Dispatcher, I wanted to welcome you to the board and let you know that I'm in the same boat when it comes to being able to take classes. It just is not possible with my rotating work schedule.

I have taken several online classes at Craftsy.com and they've all been worthwhile and informative. I've also learned a lot by watching videos on youtube, which is great because I'm a visual learner. But perhaps the most helpful resource of information is right here at the Quilting Board, where you'll get quick, helpful answers to your questions and all the support a person could need. When I'm having a problem, I love to come here and use the "Advanced Search" to see if the problem has been addressed before. I always find lots of answers, and I come away knowing that I'm not alone when it comes to the issue at hand.

Even the most talented, award-winning quilt artist started somewhere. But today, we have easy access to the information and resources, even if we can't attend a class "in the flesh". Again, welcome to the Quilting Board!

SlightlyOffQuilter

I totally agree with Cass62 about the Craftsy classes ! They are so worth it when you are not in a position to be able to attend a live class. I too am self taught via the internet ! This board, has been a lifesaver, and I love that I can go back to my craftsy classes as much as I want, whenever I want as my schedule allows !

Prism99

Cutting strips on-grain and cutting strips so they are straight are actually two different topics. You can cut straight strips that are completely on the bias from fabric if you want to!

I agree with Tartan that the primary issue with cutting strips is (1) making sure your ruler is at a precise 90-degree angle from the fold, assuming your fabric is folded once, and (2) if the fabric is folded more than once, that the folds are exactly parallel. to each other.

You can test this with some pieces of typing paper. Fold a couple of pieces any which way. Use a ruler to cut one in a straight line, using an acute angle. Unfold the paper; you will not have a straight strip. Use a ruler to cut another strip, making sure this time that the ruler is at an exact 90-degree angle to the fold. When you unfold the strip, it will be straight.

How the fabric is folded (on-grain or off-grain) is one topic. How the fabric is cut (at a 90-degree angle or at some other angle) is another topic.

Personally, for quilting, I don't care if my strips are slightly off-grain; they will still be sufficiently stable for my purposes. Being perfectly on-grain doesn't matter much. However, the more the strips are off-grain, the more stretchy they will get. Maximum stretch is achieved when strips are cut on the true bias (45-degrees from on-grain). If I am a couple of degrees off-grain, the additional stretch is minimal.

I do care, however, if my strips are straight. Sometimes I want bias strips for binding. For these I fold on the bias, but again, the crucial step for getting straight strips is to cut with the ruler at an exact 90-degree angle to the fold.

Hope this is all clearer than mud.

Amythyst02

The nice thing that you have is these boards, they are available 24/7 and I am betting there is someone on at all times, and will hopefully have the answers for you pretty fast. These ladies are just fantastic when it comes to helping folks. I cannot think of one time they have been stumped!! The boards are the best, and the folks behind these names are even better.

So welcome to our group of oh so brilliant women. (I am not included in there yet, as I am pretty much a beginner too, but I try when I can)

Lavada

welcome from IOWA the very cold state at present time

lclang

The issue is not how much fabric you have, but whether the end you are cutting is actually square. That's what you need to work on in order to get straight strips. The excess can be draped over the back of a chair or puddled off to the side, just so it doesn't pull on the area you are cutting and get it out of alignment again.

citruscountyquilter

Welcome to the board. You will learn so much here. It's how I start my day each morning. I always use the selvedge edge to square up my fabric rather than the fold. I know that the selvedge is straight of grain and if I lay my ruler line along that and cut off the excess sliver then I am working on the straight of grain. I guess I learned this from a lot of garment sewing in the past where when laying a pattern on I was taught to measure the grain line on the pattern by the distance away from the selvedge and when the top of the pattern grain line and the bottom of the grain line were the same distance from the selvedge the pattern was on the fabric grain like it was supposed to be. I haven't had any trouble with curvy strips doing it this way. I also press down on my ruler hard when cutting, moving my fingers along the ruler like a spider as I cut. This way my ruler doesn't shift.