How to Make a Perfect Cut

Hi, my name is Aimee Griffin from overallquilter.com.

This is our first of our many instructional videos. So, be sure to check back often for new clips.

So meet your selvages together, and give it a nice press, pressing just up and down, getting rid of any creases that the fabric might have.

So, we’re learning how to get a perfect cut, and the tools that I like to use are :

• A 12 ½ Square
• A 6 ½ by 24, it could be an 8 ½, but I really like the 24 length. That’s really what I’m looking for (6 ½ x 24 ½ Quilting Ruler), and
• A Rotary Cutter (45mm). I like to use the 45 mm, it just fits better in my hand. 60 mm’s are nice for, when you are going through multiple layers.

So let’s get started. And we have taken the fabric over to the Ironing board, we have met our selvages. Very important to get that grain to sit nice and straight. We’re going to lay it on our mat. I am using a 24 by 36 size mat (24 x 36 Cutting Mat) for the length and the width. The bigger the mat, the easier it’s going to be for me to get a nice perfect cut because of the room that you have. So we’re going to take the 12 ½ inch Ruler and lay it right on top of our fold, ensuring that we have a nice straight edge. What you’re looking for, is to make sure that that fold is nice and straight. If your fold is not nice and straight, take it back to your ironing surface and give it another good press. That usually will take care of uneven folds.

Take your long Ruler and we’re going to but that Ruler right next to that 12 1/2. Once you have done that then you can slide that Square away, but maintain your hand holding down nice and firm on the long Ruler. We are now ready to square up our side or to get an even cut on our side.

We’re going to take our Rotary Cutter, expose the blade and start. When you hold your Rotary Cutter, you want to put your index finger on these little knobs. While holding firmly down, you wanna put your body weight in too. I’m going to be cutting halfway till about the 12 inch line and re-position my hands. And I’ll show you how to do that now.

Start at the very bottom with your body weight, go ahead and go just to about the 12 inch line. I do this so that my Ruler will not move as I’m going all the way through to the end. So I’m gonna re-position my hand by removing my left hand while laying my right, and then I can go ahead and move my hand back up again. And then I’m going to pick it up at the, about the 11 inch line and continue all the way to the end. Before I lift my left hand, I’m also going to ensure that I have cut through my layers. Once I’ve ensured that that’s done, then I can go ahead and take my left hand out. Its very important that you do that, so that your Ruler does not move too many times if you start down here. Because your hand is further down at the bottom, there is no weight on the ruler, and that’s what causes the ruler to move. Another reason for the ruler to move is, if it doesn’t have grips or sand paper dots. Another good idea to add to your ruler, if your ruler does not have those sand paper grips or dots.

We are going to be cutting a 4 ½ inch strip. So again, what you want to do is take your ruler and find that 4 ½ inch line or measurement. There’s my 4 ½ inch line. So I’ve laid my ruler so that the 4 ½ inch measurement is lined up on the edge of my fabric and I’m also making sure that my fold is nice and straight. So there’s my line ensuring that that’s nice and straight.

Rotary cutter, you also wanna make sure that when you hold your ruler down, you also wanna put a little bit of section on it. You also don’t want to hold your ruler down with your hand like this because again, it might possibly scooch on you. Give it a good grip. And once again, we’re going to start at the bottom. I always start a little bit before my fabric so that I know that I’ve cut through that fold. Going to go up again to about the 12 ½ inch line, take my right hand and re-position my left hand. I’m never, never do I want to go backwards with my Rotary cutter because you end up cutting, and getting little slivers all through. So make sure that you start at the 12 ½ where you left off, and go completely forward towards, away from you.

Once again, I’m gonna ensure that my, I’ve cut through my layers, and then I can take my hand out.

And that is how you get a perfect cut.