Beginner's Quilt Class 3

Cutting Fabric with a Rotary cutter and mat

1. 
   Equipment
   A. Cutting Mat made to be used with a Rotary cutter
   B. Rotary Cutter with a sharp blade
   C. Appropriate ruler for cutting job
2. Safety! Blades are sharp! Be careful!
   A. Retract or close blade when not in use. Always!
   B. If small children are likely to be in your cutting area make sure the cutter is put away, out of
   reach.
   C. Wear shoes, no open toed shoes. People have dropped rotary cutters and cut their toes or foot.
   D. Be aware of where your fingers are when cutting.
   E. Use sharp blades. If you mess up and cut yourself, getting cut with a sharp blade is better than getting cut with a dull blade. Sharp blades are less likely to slip or jump.
   F. Always cut AWAY from your body. Never cross arms to cut.
3. Preparing to Cut
   A. A table or counter top will work. Make sure the area is clear. It does help if you are doing a
   a lot of cutting if the surface is high enough that you aren't leaning over.
   B. Place mat on surface.
   C. Fabric
       1. Press fabric to remove fold lines from the bolt. You might have to use steam or spray water.
       2. Fold fabric in half lengthwise so that selvage edgemeet. Fabric should be smooth. Don't worry about the raw edges. Lay the fabric on the cutting mat, smooth it out. The fold should be either at the bottom or the to. If your ruler is not long enough to cover the width carefully fold the fabric in half again folded edge to the selvage.
      3.Place the ruler on top of the fabric on the right hand side so that you can trim the uneven dges. What you are going to cut off in this step is to the right of the ruler.If you are left handed this would be the opposite. The blade of the cutter should be against the ruler as you push it away from you, cutting the fabric.

IV. Cutting Strips

     A. See Safety rules

     B. Carefully turn fabric so the trimmed edge is to your left. (lefties, to the right)

     C. Find your marks on the ruler. (example 4 ½ inches ) Align those markings with edge of the

fabric so that the 1 inch mark is to the right and on the fabric.

     D. Run the cutter away from your body to cut the strip.

V. Cutting the Strips into squares.

    A. The strips can easily be cut into squares or rectangles. Lay the strips out still folded if you like. You will need to trim the selvage edges off. Then use your ruler to measure and cut to whatever size you need.

Cutting Instructions for Beginners 9-patch

Back ground Fabric

You will need- 36 – 4 ½ inch squares

8- 5 1/8 inch squares

10 - 5 ½ inch squares

Cut 4 – 4 ½ inch strips – cut each strip into 4 ½ inch squares – should have 32 squares remaining 4 squares will be cut in the next step.

Cut 2- 5 1/8 inch strips – From 1 strip cut 4- 4 ½ inch pieces- trim these to 4 ½ inch squares. From the remainder of the this strip and the second strip cut 8 – 5 1/8 inch squares

Cut 2- 5 ½ inch strips- cut each strip into 5 ½ inch squares. You should get 7 squares from each strip. You need 10

Fabric C for Shoo fly block ( the 4 blue blocks in my quilt.)

Cut 2 – 5 1/8 strips – From the first strip cut 4- 4 ½ inch square. From the remainder of this strip and the second on cut 8 – 5 1/8 inch squares.

Fabric B for Ohio Stars ( 5 red blocks in my quilt)

Cut 2- 5 ½ inch strips - Cut 10 – 5 ½ inch squares from these strips. You should get 7 from one strip. Cut 3 from the 2^nd strip.

You need 5 – 4 ½ inch squares, you might be able to cut all of them from the what is left of the

5 ½ inch strips but if not

Cut 1 – 4 ½ inch strip – cut 5 – 4 ½ inch squares

I put each set of squares in their own plastic zip lock bag or pin them together and label them. I put everything including extra fabric into a box or large Ziploc bag until to keep everything together. (put instructions in there too.)