Grace MooreLinker

When cutting double strips of fabric now do you prevent getting the dog leg( that's what I call this) the strips don't come out straight regardless how straight my ruler is on the fabric.It is at the fold part of the strip??????????HELP

donnajean

Are you pressing the fabric - matching selvages 1st? Then it's a matter of pressing the ruler firmly until finishing the cut. I find standing with the cutting on my Big Board on an adjustable ironing board gives me the right height to maintain the pressure.

Grace MooreLinker

I do the matching and pressing, I even have tried cutting from the fold side this seemes to improve the problem , but still can't seem to get toldly rid of it???

pjaco

Use a longer ruler and don't fold it

clynns

I noticed that most fabric is not on the bolt straight. After washing and ironing, I try to line up the 'straight of grain'. Sometime's I end up cutting 2-3 inches off of one end just to get a straight grain of fabric. When you try to line up the fabric on the selvage edges don't go by the cut edge. Just keep working the fabric until the selvage lines up evenly and it 'hangs' right. Then cut you square up line. If all else fails pull one of your threads to get you straight of grain. If your straight of grain isn't as true as you can get it, no matter how many times you square your fabric you'll always get the dog legs. Hope this helps. Good luck. Cheryl

Prism99

It is the *angle* of the ruler respective to the *fold* that determines whether or not you get the dreaded "V" in a strip.

To test this, fold a piece of paper. Cut a strip where you try to get a perfect 90 -degree angle of the ruler to the fold. Then move the ruler so it is either more or less than 90 degrees and cut another strip. The further away from 90 degrees the angle is to the fold, the deeper the "V" is in the strip.

Consider the edges of the paper to be selvedges. It doesn't matter whether the selvedges match up or not. Fold a piece of paper so the edges are whacky. Then cut a strip with the ruler exactly 90 degrees from the fold, wherever the fold is. The strip will come out without the dreaded "V" (edges will be wonky). Likewise, grain of fabric is irrelevant. Straight strips can be cut from fabric that has been folded on the bias.

The easiest way to achieve a perfect 90-degree angle, in my opinion, is to use a June Taylor shapecut. As long as you ensure that a line on the shapecut is exactly parallel to the fold of the fabric, you will get 90-degree cuts.

Another method is to use two rulers to ensure degree accuracy. The first ruler (the bigger the ruler, the better) is placed so one of its lines is exact with the fold of the fabric. The second ruler, which is the cutting ruler, is butted up against the first ruler. You then also check that a line on the cutting ruler is exactly parallel to the fold.

irishrose

Press out the store fold, shake the fabric and fold by sliding the selvage up or down until it hangs nicely, then give it another shake and use that fold line. I fold mine a second time if I'm using the June Tailor Shape cut ruler, otherwise I cut it at 22 inches. I've never had a dogleg since I started pressing out the store fold.

Edit: I find the line on the JT Shape Cut to be very thick and I need to be careful that the edge of the fabric is exactly ON the line, not hidden under it as it could a little crooked with the line so heavy.

Grace MooreLinker

thank you, I remember my Mom pulling the thread to get the straight grain, had forgotten this, thanks for the memory joging. I'll give this a try the next time I start to cut out a pattern. She has been gone for 20 years, still miss being there to call for tricks of the world not just quilting.. :thumbup:

Grace MooreLinker

thank you, I remember my Mom pulling the thread to get the straight grain, had forgotten this, thanks for the memory joging. I'll give this a try the next time I start to cut out a pattern. She has been gone for 20 years, still miss being there to call for tricks of the world not just quilting.. :thumbup:
I'm copyimg this suggestion to add to my quilting instruction booklet that I keep with my sewing patterns. :lol:

Grace MooreLinker

I do this but sure would speed up my strip cutting to be able to cut the folded fabric.

:-)