Quilting 101-Using a Rotary Cutter

After being cut or torn at the store, if you wash or not, fabric is rarely straight and ready for rotary cutting. It is important that you start with a straight edge across the width of the fabric.

Step 1. Lay fabric on the ironing board flat and iron (this is one time you can iron). Bringing the selvages together. Keeping selvages even, scoot fabric along with your fingers until fold lays perfectly flat and straight. The raw edges where fabric is cut or torn will probably not match up.

Step 2. Lay it on the cutting mat with folded edge toward you and raw edge to be straightened facing right (left-handers facing left). Place rotary-cutting rule (the smallest one you can that will cover both the fold and the edge of the fabric) on fabric, aligning one of the crosswise measuring lines along the fold. While pressing down firmly on the ruler with your left (right) hand, cut upward, or away from yourself, along the ruler edge cutting half way, stopping the cutting motion but not lifting the rotary cutter, moving the left (right) hand up the rotary cutter, and then finishing the cut.

Step 3. Turning the cutting board around (would be ideal) or carefully turn the fabric around so that newly straightened edge is facing left (right).

Step 4. You can fold one more time if you are careful to match up edges. To cut strips, find line on rule to match width of strip desired. Place this line exactly on cut edge of fabric and, check to make sure fold line is straight on ruler marks, cut strip