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I'm a newbie and was reading the thread about bad habits. Someone stated that they cut from the right instead of the left. What in the heck are they talking about? How do you know which is the right or left of the fabric? And I'm right handed, so naturally I'd cut on the right side. This one's got me confused!!
I don't recall the exact thread you mention but my guess is that they are talking about measuring and therefore cutting from the left edge of the fabric which would be the correct way if you are right handed, I have two left handed students and they cut from the right edge.
You would start any cutting by squaring up or straightening an edge, this is normally done on the 'right hand' side, you would then turn your fabric (or mat with fabric on) so that your straight edge is to your left. You then measure with your ruler or with your mat lines to the point you wish to cut. This gives you a known straight edge to measure and cut from, so you are measuring and cutting from the left but to the right hand side of your ruler. This is reversed if you are left handed. I hope this helps.
Makes perfect sense now! I wasn't thinking of turning the mat. Thanks, Dragonfly.
They could have also been talking about cutting on the right or left side of the line on your ruler. If you are right handed, if you cut on the left side of the line there is a good chance your block will be a bit small. If you always cut on the right side, you are giving yourself a couple extra threads, which can really make a difference. These "rules" would be reversed for a left-handed person too.
Now I'm totally confused. I didn't know there were "rules" about which side to square up and which side to cut from. I always square my fabric on my right side of the fabric and that is the side I always start cutting from. Am I wrong?
Pam in Vegas
When your squaring a block you put the ruler on the right side. When you are cutting pieces strips of fabric, you cut from left to right. : )
Pam like most things in life there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way, there is the way that works best for you. The technique for using the rulers and rotary cutters have been established for what will 'generally' give you the most accurate and consistent cuts while being safe, but it is not a rule. From my experience in teaching I have found that mostly people have gone out and bought their tools without anyone ever actually showing them the best or safe way to use them. BUT, don't assume that there is only one way, I have learnt a lot from students who were not showed how something 'should' be done. There are videos available on the internet that show several ways of cutting, try some of them and pick what works for you.
Ladies - that was really confusing! I'm with Dragonfly!
If you are right handed most of the time you want to cut with your ruler on the left. One thing NOT to do is to try to cut on the left side of your ruler with your cutter in your right hand. Rotary cutter accidents can be serious and reaching under your holding arm to cut is a dangerous practice. Barb
@ rebeccaQuote:
Originally Posted by rebeccas-sewing
nice avatar picture, I guess from this winter in London.
I'm with you and Dragonfly!
Here's what I think this is about. As a new quilter I tried to learn from reading a pattern and doing things I thought made sense. I started cutting my fabric by using the markings on my MAT. Therefore I would square up my fabric by lining up the bottom on a line on my mat then cutting the right edge off by lining up my ruler with markings above and below the fabric to make a straight edge. Then I would use the lines on my MAT (what I could see above and below the fabric) and move my ruler from right to left and cutting the strip that was OUTSIDE of the ruler, to the right of the ruler. Now I've learned to more accurately cut you should measure with the RULER over the fabric and the strip size you want lays UNDER the ruler. So you square up the left edge of the fabric by placing your ruler on top of the fabric, measuring what's UNDER the ruller with the markings on the ruler, then move the ruler left to right as you continue to cut your strips. So the strip size you are cutting is always underneath the ruler. Did that help at all???
Well, I don't know if it help them but it sure did help me! Thanks!
I've got it now. Thanks for all of the input!
Haha! This kind of thing is so hard to describe in words. I think we need a tutorial!
Jenny.....???
denmck is right on the money. I was orginally taught to use the lines on my MAT to cut my strips and quickly found this to be frustrating as many of my strips didn't come out right. I figured out on my own to use the lines on my RULER as they were more accurate than the lines in my MAT. Another quilt teacher confirmed this with me and said this is how she teaches.
I am left handed and cut to the right edge of my fabric with my ruler laying on top of the fabric. If I were right handed and using this technique, I would cut on the left edge of my fabric.