Kara

I snip into the selvage on one side (close to the cut edge), then rip the cut edge off. You end up with a little bit of a lasagna edge, but at least it's straight. From there, you can work at pressing the fabric straight and flat. And selvage edges should lay on top of each other when the fabric is folded in half lengthwise and the ripped edge is on top of itself.

Sometimes, easier said then done, I know. But that straight edge is true, and dampened fabric can be manipulated to be straight, then dry ironed. Well worth the extra time. That first straight edge, gets you off to a great start.

bearisgray

I cut my strips on the lengthwise grain. I THINK I learned that from a Marti Mitchell book.

Even with starting with the selvage as my first guide line, I find it necessary to retrue the strips every so often.

Also, the folding of the fabric is very important. I ignore the cut ends - they end where they end - but I try to have the main folds parallel to each other.
And the I try to have the ruler lined up with the folds.

This also is probably clear as mud.

I've found that sometimes when fabric is processed the grain lines are distorted. I wash and dry them, and then see what I have. If it is extremely off-grain, I won't use it.

I hate the zig-zag cuts.

kluedesigns

i use the june tailor shape cut too when cutting strips. its faster and very accurate.

Prism99

The key to cutting folded fabric into strips without a "V" in the middle is to make sure that you are cutting exactly a 90-degree angle to the fold. The fold can be anywhere in the fabric (even bias!). As long as you make sure that your cutting ruler is exactly 90-degrees from the fold, you will have a straight strip.

There are different ways to make sure that your ruler is exactly 90 degrees to the fold. What I do is use another ruler -- straight, square, or triangle -- and butt it up to my cutting ruler. If the line of the fold matches the line on the second ruler, and if that second ruler is butted up perfectly to my cutting ruler, I know there will be no "V". It helps if the secondary ruler is long enough to allow you to line up at least 12 inches of the fold and tall enough to butt against your ruler for 12 inches; the longer each of these is, the more likely you are to be accurate.

PrettyKitty

Exactly how I do it too, well explained littlehud!

Hycino

Thanks for the tips. I'm getting experience evryday!!

Hycino

I discovered something new!! there are times we get multiple V-Cuts which results from folding the fabric twice and through four layers. You fold the fabric selvage to selvage. Then fold the selvage over to meet the original fold, always checking that you have folded evenly by laying the ruler on the fabric aligning one of the inch lines with one fold. The measurement at the other edge of the fabric should be the same all the way across the width of your ruler.
it's easy to see and get through haha

omak

ALWAYS !!! REMEMBER the above words ... until I read those words, I couldn't have articulated the point. Excellent!

tslowery

Thanks again. I will try this and see if I can get it straight this way. :roll: :roll:

Carol W

Great tips!!