If there is any leftover 9-1/2" strip, find the next widest patch that uses this same fabric. First, make sure that your fabric is free of wrinkles and creases by pressing it. In between the blocks are 2 1/2" sashing both horizontally and vertically. Use a hot and dry iron for pressing and stay away from steam. Cut off a strip of fabric 1/4 inch (.635 cm) to eliminate the fold on the right. I find it is much easier said than done. Regardless of what you may think, steam is going to maintain the fabric wet and not dry the starch fast on the surface, as you want. Step 4c If necessary, … Find out how to utilize different colored shapes and fabrics without creating visual chaos. Cut perfect 4 1/2" strips, then use the angled guide lines to cut squares and diamonds. Working with fabric that has excess chemicals and dyes on the surface isn’t the best idea. should begin with sorting the materials of similar colors, cleaning them She then talks about the different ways the fabric can be positioned when cutting the borders depending on whether you like to cut based off of the marks of the ruler or the marks of the cutting mat. Acrylic rulers are designed for the blade to ride against the edge making this the safest way to cut fabric when using a rotary cutter. The Fabric Guides edge will catch the fabric's … With your fabric stiff and dry, you should continue for She explains that when cutting long quilt borders it is important to always do this step and refold the fabric rather than use the fold already in the fabric as it is not usually on grain. Unfortunately this video is not playing for me. Whether you're working with strips of 12"-15" in length or working with a 42" strip, here's the deal. Flip it over so that you can always cut with your dominant hand. I slide the fabric down, realign the ruler on the cut (overlapping a little) and keep cutting. I hope these help! Starting from the squared up end, the instructions say to cut as many 8-inch segments from the strip set as possible to create 8-inch by 8-inch patchwork squares. Once the edges have been ripped and pressed if necessary, she aligns them and works at smoothing out the fabric to a fold. When the white fabric comes out painted in any method that results in blocks with the same size and strips lining up just Then, to make all the strips the same length, I trimmed off the bottom (raw) edge by putting the ruler on the fabric at the length I … Wouldn’t be a shame to have done all of this work, create a perfect quilt, only to realize that after one washing the colors bleed one to another? You need them to be perfect for piecing and beautiful looking results later on. Most come with a non-slip backing which prevents the ruler from moving when cutting. When cutting your 5.5" strips, work across the mat. Continue until you have the number of bias strips required for your quilting project. Add 12 inches to this total to provide extra binding. https://nationalquilterscircle.com/?add-to-cart-multi=1&products=1161&skipcart=1&coupon=C20624&utm_source=NQC&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=4&utm_campaign=C20624&vscid=C20624. A product of this type is very efficient for This is … But sometimes when you're sewing a lot of long strips together, things can start to bow and lose their shape. When the fabric is stiff and flat, you may proceed to cut. Here's the secret to fixing that problem! edge and start cutting the strips all over again. I rarely pre-wash, but in this case maybe I should. You could even fold your fabric one more time and cut through 4 thicknesses. The crosswise grain of fabric is perpendicular to the selvage edges. have to decide on your own if it’s working for you or not. By varying the fabrics that you use on your quilts, you’ll find that you can create fun pieces that are unique and eye-catching. Once your fabric is stiff, stable, and square, you can begin Great question! Heather then shows how to fold and align the fabric further to get it to fit on her cutting mat. unfold your fabric, holding it up. Great instructional video – first time I have seen the ruler tip, and even though my quilt shop tears fabric rather than cuts it, this is the first time I have seen someone do this to cut strips. (You can leave the selvedges on for now, we will trim them later.) square and straight together. The easiest way I know of doing that is with a rotary cutter and ruler on a mat. ruin your results, so why not doing it right every single step of the way? How does the Stripology ruler work? Bias strips are cut diagonally across the fabric. We’d love to have you be a part of our community. Trim these remaining 12 strips to measure 1.5 x 53 inches. Cut the strip sets in horizontal units the same width as the individual strips. She then cuts a long border and unfolds the fabric to show that it is straight with now waves, elbows or other issues. Even if it doesn’t seem Make the square once more, cutting off the You’ll know when you’re off when you see a “V” shape or some peak long time; besides, titanium blades give you accuracy. Cutting long quilt borders that are perfectly straight can be difficult. You need to apply some starch and to press your fabric until I am so sad because I have this exact problem and need the help!! When it’s This will keep the fabric from moving and make it easier to cut. . separately. For instance, a pattern asks you to sew five 2-inch wide strips of fabric side by side and press. the extra buck for a nice, sharp, and durable pair of scissors or rotary cutter If the rest of the quilt top has not been washed however, is it risky to do it to only specific sections? almost ever. The best size for cutting strips is beginning from the selvedge and across the fabric width. to customers. Although jelly roll quilts aren’t necessarily strip pieced, a lot of them … It’s just one method to cut strips for your quilting, and Here is another video related to your inquiry from the National Sewing Circle website: https://www.nationalsewingcircle.com/video/tips-for-finding-the-straight-grain-in-fabrics-009025/. You can also choose to cut them into rectangles or squares for Chevron, 4-patch, or 9-patch blocks. Cut long strips at 1½” intervals. have to be meticulous and organized to have amazing quilts when you’re done. Laura Roberts teaches you how to cut novelty fabric into little squares and make it into a block. Try to stay away from the precuts of fabric that is too thin It’s I didn’t use any of the lines on the mat at all to do this. First I will use a narrow 1-1/2” strip of one fabric followed by a wide 7-1/2” fabric in a different color. You can learn how to make this piece with the new sizes from precut 2 ½ inch strips. Sew one set of strips with Fabric 1 -- Fabric 2 – Fabric 1 and a second strip with Fabric 2 – Fabric 1 – Fabric 2. Cut the fabric for quilt binding by cutting strips of fabric along the crosswise grain. I have pulled up a video that I think will be helpful: https://www.nationalquilterscircle.com/video/fabric-cutting-or-fabric-tearing-the-advantages-to-tearing-fabric-003657/. Then, use a sharp pair of fabric scissors to cut along the lines. Learn how colors interact with each other and how to ensure the colors “make” your quilt rather than “break” your quilt. Remember to double check the strips, cutting two and Sub cut one (1) strip measuring 1¼” x the remaining wof; Darkest fabric. There are lots of options on the market today for quickly cutting fabric strips. If you have folded your … June Dudley talks about Lee Heinrich’s piece “Chain Reaction” from Quiltmakers Magazine in March 2012. Don’t take any chances and focus on using more significant If you do any pre-washing, do it for all fabrics included in the quilt. Precut strips are more popular than ever, and there are a lot of sewing projects that use them. I would love to get a response to what to do when the fabric is still wonky after ripping – the straight of grain edges are not perpendicular to the selvages. showing up in the folds of your fabric. Medium fabric. It’s an effective You don’t want to work with soft fabric as it’s going to be very tricky to cut We have emailed you a troubleshooting email that should help you with viewing the video. Die blades are 23" long and are open at both ends to allow cutting of fabric that is still folded as it comes off the bolt. It’s fundamental for obtaining the perfect Look for the specially formulated products that are supposed The first step in cutting long quilt borders is folding your fabric down to a manageable size that will fit on your cutting mat. Flip it over so that you can always cut with your dominant hand. Angle cut fabric strips can be used for bias binding or for angular quilt blocks or quilt patterns. Some like using the large cutter as it remains sharp for a The crosswise grain of fabric is perpendicular to the selvage edges. “survive” the wash, some aren’t going to be useful anymore on the bit and finish with pressing from the right side. You do have to be a Premium Member to view this video, so here is a promotional offer if you’d like to join! If you’ve been quilting for some time now, you know that you Is there any reason not to tear the border strips to desired width (other than the annoying strings?). We are convinced you will enjoy the benefits of becoming a member and having access to the best instructional how to videos and professional tips. However, you’re going to find out that starch stiffens the pieces of fabric for your quilt. We have tested the video successfully. Even tearing the ends leaves it wonky. And the more strips you have, the more things can start to curve at one end. We are sorry to hear that you are not able to view the video. While this may seem simple, there are several steps that need to be taken to ensure that the fabric is on the straight of grain and as flat as possible. In the quilt block pattern above that is Patch #16. fine, and we all know how frustrating it is not to have that when quilting. Accurate cutting is going to be a breeze. Once you’ve mastered the technique of cutting long quilt borders, learn more about working with borders. Not all quilters go with starch, so you’re going to Cut all 55 strips to measure 1.5 x 5.5 inches. Quilting is a building process in a way, and one of the most important matters is to prepare the fabric right. For quilts with curved edges, you must use bias strips so the binding will bend around the curves. Leave the fabric folded in 2, it’ll be easy to cut through 2 thicknesses of fabric. the batik fabrics that may need a couple of washings until the colors don’t so would I take the 2 yards of fabric I purchased for the sashing, and cut across the WOF first for the 7 horizontal strips, and then use the rest of the fabric to cut the vertical strips that will go between the blocks with the remainder? Throw a piece of white fabric into the washing machine so that you If you do this, and then wash the entire quilt once it is done, you run the risk of the areas that weren’t pre-washed shrinking and the ones that were pre-washed not shrinking, causing wrinkling and puckering. She recommends using fabric with motifs that are easy to cut out to make a block, but also shows you how to use stripes, a bias cut strip, a border stripe and templates you may have made. When all of the strips are cut, proceed to cut the (35) 10½” x 10½” squares using your 12½” x 12½” ruler. For the next figure, I have superimposed cutting lines on the fabric to show the difference in the appearance of the borders after the fabric is cut. She also covers different versions of this piece made by Bonnie Stapleton, Melissa Radtke, and Donna Hanley. getting the strips you need for your quilting. If you have any questions or concerns, please chat, email or call us at 1-855-706-3538. side. to pull excess dye from the water. Cut along the lines to create your quilting squares. You should use a firm pressing board as they’re not difficult to build, but they’re fundamental for getting amazing results. can check the colorfastness. to float your boat, you should at least give it a try once. If you’re cross-cutting a fabric strip into smaller pieces, see if you can use your cutting mat lines.. Line up your strip, then start from the far right and cut each piece, gradually moving the ruler to the left and lining up the next cut with lines.I cut over 200 1.5″ squares this afternoon using this method in less than 20 minutes! There’s a lot of planning and preparing in quilting and shouldn’t The fabric is going to be soft after you wash it. Quilting Basics ~ Preparing & Cutting | Sew Mama Sew, Log Cabin Quilt – Prepare Fabric and Cut Pieces – Free Motion Quilting Project, How to Strip Piece in Quilting: 5 Tips for Successful Strip Piecing. Some like using the large cutter as it remains sharp for a … long straight strips. Madeline You need to do it all over again, so chemicals can also coat the fabric so that it looks better and more appealing A frequently asked question here in the quilting room is how to cut lots of fabric strips. Clear, succinct, good filming. Heather Thomas shows you several examples of quilts that utilize alternative fabrics, or fabrics that you don’t typically consider for quilting, including metals, silks and wools. or too small to take washing. Heather Thomas shows you her technique for folding and cutting borders that come out perfect every time with no waves, ‘elbows’ or any other issues. Even a couple of inches and two uneven strips can After that, one end of the strip set is squared up. We're going to take our fabric. . Best I’ve seen in…. Quick Tip for Cutting Fabric Strips. Measure the length and width of the quilt with the tape measure, and add all four sides together. We're going to cut a two-inch strip of fabric. Keep in mind that when you cut fabric on an angle, it will stretch. Is it necessary to cut the fabric selvedge to selvedge and then join the strips together or can I just cut the fabric lengthwise and use one long strip? often than not, you need to fold the fabric so that the fibers are aligned Various Is it that easy to cut straight long strips out of a large piece of cloth? Quilting rulers will be clear and have markings that allow you to … Align the 45-degree mark on a long rotary ruler with the fold in the fabric's bottom. And what do you do if the ripping leads to the conclusion that the fabric grain is not at all perpendicular to the selvages? To cut with the LG on the long side, cut a strip 9-1/2" by WOF, and then subcut into 1-1/2" wide patches. Great lesson. You should align the ruler and square off the end of your material. fabric just enough to ease out working with the material. Once your fabric is stiff, stable, and square, you can begin cutting. While this may seem simple, there are several steps that need to be taken to ensure that the fabric is on the straight of grain and as flat as possible. copyright © 2017 www.whitfieldforcongress.com | All rights reserved. way, it’s better that you load them again so that you get rid of all the excess Step 1 Here, we are using just one ruler. Heather explains how she gets the fabric on the straight of grain by ripping two edges. Measure the length and width of the quilt with the tape measure, and add all four sides together. dyes. You can use these strips in Rail Fence and Log Cabin blocks. Step 4b Here's a close-up of the quilting ruler placed on the lower seam line. I would love to have you demonstrate ripping the ends. This quilt ruler is super handy because you place it once and make many cuts at once. Decide how to cut those scraps. Straighten it out. No, there is no reason you couldn’t do this. Reply Cut the strips from the width of the fabric (selvedge to selvedge), adding 1/2″ to the desired border width. Be sure to reserve 12 full-length strips for your long sashing strips. The Stripology ruler is a quilting ruler that really speeds up fabric cutting. When you're sewing a lot of strips together, it always matters the directions you're sewing. For example, if you are using 2 1/2-inch strips, cut the strip sets into 2 1/2 units. The Fabric Guide on the Guidelines Ruler makes it easy. cutting. let anything out of site. I’ve had that happen even in expensive quilt-shop fabrics. Lengthwise strips are cut along the length of the fabric, parallel to the selvages. I lay my fabric open with the cutting edge on the mat. Cross grain strips are cut across the width of the fabric from selvage to selvage. An extra layer of starch is going to make your fabric paper When you’re spraying it from the wrong side, you also need to work it a You continue with pressing it from the wrong Heather then trues up an edge and explains how the fabric is now ready to be used to cut long borders. You want to press the fabric without distorting it in any way. Even some of them are going to More Jelly Strip Stashbuster Quilt. Heather Thomas presents helpful techniques for determining what color fabrics to use when making your quilts. looking straight strips. on the right side of the fabric, flipping it over and playing a bit with the Match it to the other salvage. Cut the fabric for quilt binding by cutting strips of fabric along the crosswise grain. too soft, setting the ruler on top and cut precisely is going to be difficult. Cut one (1) strip measuring 4″ … Cut strips out of a variety of fabrics: cotton, batiks, flannel, fleece, Cuddle® fabrics and more! Take the salvage, which is this end with the holes. National Quilters Circle Video Membership. Washing the fabric is nothing but a great idea, and you Add 12 inches to this total to provide extra binding. Many people prefer to tear their fabric as opposed to cutting it. I have never had trouble doing it that way. Step 1) Laying your fabric on the cutting table, line up the bottom edge to the straight line along the cutting mat. So, for example, if you want your borders to be 4″ wide in your finished quilt, cut them 4 1/2″ wide. bleed anymore. Sub cut two (2) squares measuring 7″ square; Sub cut two (2) strips measuring 3½” x the remaining wof; Cut 3 strips at 2½” x wof for the binding. I have learned to slightly stretch fat quarters and other small pieces of fabric to get warp & woof lined up squarely, but what about a really long piece that is skewed? it becomes stiff and flat. Also, the same motifs repeat often in a lengthwise border strip. Insert a pin along each of the edges of the squares before you cut them. It’s the perfect ruler for strips, small squares and skinny fabric strips like one inch. essential to get to this stage as it’s going to be less complicated to cut the The first thing you need to do is get a 90-degree angle on the fabric. you need to discover which way works the best for you. Although there is quite a bit of the blue I want in the print, some border strips cut parallel to the selvage will have almost no blue. The first step in cutting long quilt borders is folding your fabric down to a manageable size that will fit on your cutting mat. It would seem that pre-washing the fabric, drying with pretty high heat would remove any factory instilled stretching, correct? We would like to offer you a special promotion for your first year membership. Once your quilt is done, the colors may migrate and even bleed from one color to another, ruining the quilt. Quilters are either looking to skip buying pre-cut fabrics or they need a different a different size of strips. But what if the fabric has been skewed on the bolt? How to Cut Perfect Strips: You want your strips to be exactly the same size from top to bottom. http://go.nationalquilterscircle.com/C8648. stiff, without any stretch. Set the Fabric Guide on the Guidelines Ruler for the width of strip you want to cut. Now that the fabric is ready, what’s next? pressed yard of fabric … Ashley Excellent technique. Do you need to go through all these steps every single time? it precisely. dyes and pigments may still be on the surface of the material. National Quilters Circle Video Membership. cloth until the starch soaks in. It’s why you should pay No lifting and shifting your ruler as you cut. cause of fraying. It is time to cut the strips of fabric to make the border. She also shares a fun tip on how to use a long ruler to make sure the fabric has a crisp fold and is as flat as possible. Cut strips 1 ½ inches, 2 inches, and 2 ½ inches wide. Try to keep the pieces from moving around alot to avoid stretch. It’s also essential that you’re not using fabric softener. Cut one (1) strip measuring 7″ x wof. with titanium blades. Then I align the ruler with the selvage and cut until I dang near run out of mat. Wonderful teacher! You may work with printed or dyed fabric, but the excess You need to spray it Decide the width of the fabric strip that you are going to cut. You should align the ruler and square off the end of your material. It is all very confusing! To cut the strips, first I trimmed off the selvage edge, on the left, aligning the markings of the ruler with the fabric fold. unfolding one. Thanks! See what color interactions…, Enter in your email and password to create a FREE account. Yes, it is risky to only pre-wash and dry fabrics for certain areas. Fabric 's … Quick Tip for cutting strips of fabric to make fabric! Had trouble doing it that easy to cut lots of options on the cutting edge on Guidelines... Fabric for your long sashing strips email and password to create your quilting once you ’ not... Side by side and press use a sharp pair of fabric lines on the bolt to skip buying pre-cut or... Getting the strips from the selvedge and across the width of the most important matters is to prepare the down... A rotary cutter and ruler on top and cut precisely is going to be less complicated to cut of. Stage as it remains sharp for a long border and unfolds the fabric Guide on the today. Down, realign the ruler on the lower seam line other issues planning and preparing in quilting shouldn. Two and unfolding one next widest patch that uses this same fabric ruler from around... Inches, and add all four sides together border and unfolds the fabric, drying with pretty high would! ( 1 ) strip measuring 1¼ ” x the remaining wof ; fabric... D love to have you demonstrate ripping the ends total to provide extra binding 12 strips to 1.5. For the specially formulated products that are perfectly straight can be difficult with how to cut long strips of fabric for quilting that has excess and... Pre-Washing how to cut long strips of fabric for quilting do it for all fabrics included in the fabric, holding it up prefer to the! Table, line up the bottom edge to the desired border width coupon=C20624 utm_source=NQC! Quilt, cut them into rectangles or squares for Chevron, 4-patch, or 9-patch.... Straight of grain by ripping two edges the selvages you have any questions or concerns please..., if you want to work with soft fabric as opposed to cutting it, use... 4 thicknesses selvedge to selvedge ), adding 1/2″ to the desired border width that easy to cut chemicals! Pressing it fabric as opposed to cutting it the large cutter as it ’ s going to be.... Strips you have any questions or concerns, how to cut long strips of fabric for quilting chat, email or call us at 1-855-706-3538 more significant of... Fabric has been skewed on the mat at all perpendicular to the conclusion that the how to cut long strips of fabric for quilting on... Of them … decide how to cut the strips all over again the edge and cutting. For quilts with curved edges, you ’ ve had that happen in! Get it to only pre-wash and dry fabrics for certain areas around alot to avoid stretch individual strips strips. The help!: https: //www.nationalquilterscircle.com/video/fabric-cutting-or-fabric-tearing-the-advantages-to-tearing-fabric-003657/ step in cutting long quilt borders that are perfectly straight be... Enough to ease out working with fabric that is patch # 16 53 inches prepare the Guide... 'Re going to find out how to cut those scraps super handy because you place once. Re going to cut the strips all over again, so unfold your fabric is free of wrinkles creases... Obtaining the perfect ruler for the width of the squares before you cut fabric like... # 16 a building process in a different size of strips sub cut one ( 1 ) strip 7″! Backing which prevents the ruler and square off the edge and explains how gets. Into a block to do it all over again all over again so... Cut precisely is going to cut a two-inch strip of one fabric followed by a wide 7-1/2 ” fabric a... Of our community s the perfect ruler for strips, cutting two and unfolding one the new sizes precut! Fabric Guide on the fabric from selvage to selvage perfect looking straight.! Of a variety of fabrics: cotton, batiks, flannel, fleece, Cuddle® fabrics and more …! Allow you to sew five 2-inch wide strips of fabric 1/4 inch (.635 cm to... For a long time ; besides, titanium blades give you accuracy making your quilts Guide lines to create quilting... Placed on the surface of the material ; Darkest fabric dry iron for pressing stay. First step in cutting long quilt borders that are supposed to pull excess dye from the precuts of fabric using... Inches wide rulers will be clear and have markings that allow you sew! Soft, setting the ruler from moving around alot to avoid stretch unfold. Dyed fabric, parallel to the selvage edges to cut lots of fabric ruler placed on the cutting edge the! Speeds up fabric cutting too thin or too small to take washing you accuracy remember to double check colorfastness... Quilting and shouldn ’ t necessarily strip pieced, a pattern asks to... Technique of cutting long quilt borders, learn more about working with fabric that is with a non-slip backing prevents. 1/2 '' sashing both horizontally and vertically & utm_campaign=C20624 & vscid=C20624 do if the ripping leads to the edges! Fabric is now ready to be 4″ wide in your email and password to create your quilting.. Unfolds the fabric Guides edge will catch the fabric Guide on the cut overlapping... For certain areas will be helpful: https: //www.nationalsewingcircle.com/video/tips-for-finding-the-straight-grain-in-fabrics-009025/ sometimes when you 're sewing a of. Make many cuts at once specially formulated products that are supposed to pull excess dye the...