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Cutting and Measuring fabric
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Make Your Own Gear › Cutting and Measuring fabric
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May 23, 2011 at 7:40 am #1274260
Any tips or tricks?
How do you measure out and cut a large piece of fabric, say for a quilt?
tape the fabric corners to the floor, trace the design on with a meter stick, cut with scissors?Thanks,
WillMay 23, 2011 at 7:58 am #1739986I just lay the fabric out flat and weight down the corners with a can of food. You want it to be pulled out, but not stretched.
I measure with tape measure. I lay out triangles which makes it square. Like if you want a rectangle, measure out two corners along one side, then locate the third corner by measuring the diagonal distance from one corner and the side distance from the other corner,…
After I've located the corners, I use a straightedge to mark the edges. I have an 8 foot straightedge intended for woodworking
May 23, 2011 at 8:57 am #1740005I lay it out flat on the painted basement floor and then smooth it out. I use masking tape along the edges and gently put enough tension on it to remove wrinkles but not stretch it. I use Jerry's method of squaring, measuring the diagonal for the 3rd corner then check the diagonal on the other corner. I use a drywall marker for laying out long lines and a tape measure. Measure twice, cut once using dressmaking scissors. Practice cutting with the scissors on scrap so you don't get the jagged chopped edges. The trick is to not close the scissors completely before moving up to continue cutting.
May 23, 2011 at 9:45 am #1740028or hold scissors partially open and just push through the fabric – don't need up and down motion on the scissors
May 23, 2011 at 10:13 am #1740039I don't have a good hard work surface large enough for a big item like a tarp. So, I found a large piece of cardboard to serve. For critical measurements, I used pattern paper. For non-critical measurements, I just measured and marked.
–B.G.–
May 23, 2011 at 1:53 pm #1740165Buy a cheap folding ping-pong table that doesn't have a sunken top (yet).
Much easier on the knees.May 23, 2011 at 2:55 pm #1740184> tape the fabric corners to the floor,
Pin a pre-cut pattern to it all around the hemline, then cut it out.Cheers
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