C8's Quilt: Cut It Out!

I think that for most people who sew, cutting out is the worst part of any project. Boring and tedious are two words that come to mind. When I was 11 or 12 I was part of a 4H sewing club. We were making a clothing item for the fair. My project was a denim jumper and I wanted to begin with sewing the jumper together. I wanted to get right to it! As our leader began to explain the cutting out process, preparing the fabric, making sure the pattern was laid out correctly, pins going the right direction, which size to cut, transferring markings, etc., I was overwhelmed with how much I had to do before I could even get to the machine. I think our leader saw the disappointment and let us all know that her favorite part of sewing was cutting the item out. "What? How can that be your favorite part??" We were astonished! She said that she loved going over the directions, the pattern, making sure everything was just right. She enjoyed laying that foundation in just the right way so the rest of the project could go as smoothly as possible. Since that little chat (which has stayed with me a long time), I have tried to look at the cutting out process as important and worthy of my time. It's important to do it right, use the right tools to make it go smoothly and double check measurements. It's a good start to making the rest of the project go smooth and turn out right.

Here are some pictures of cutting out C8's quilt.

First I needed to iron the fabric. Not all fabric gets ironed before I cut it, but most of this fabric had been sitting in my stash for a while and the creases needed to come out. (Kindly ignore the messy bathroom counter. Yes, I'd rather sew than clean.) I laid one fat quarter on the board, used a little steam, pressed it, and laid the next one right on top. It saves a little time and gives the underneath ones a little more pressing.
Here's my cutting board, ruler, and rotary cutter (also called my roller blade). I'm right handed so the ruler's to my left and my right hand manages the blade. I've also gotten a little ambidextrous when things are lined up opposite and I don't want to rearrange. Sometimes I flip the entire cutting board around or walk to the other side of the table if I need to. Whatever works!

A few things to remember--Use a sharp blade. When one gets dull or starts skipping, trade it out for a new one. Write a "P" on the side of the old blade-- It's now your blade to cut paper with.

Also, cut through a few layers at a time. I once taught a class on making Christmas Tree Skirts and there was a lady, an experienced seamstress, who was cutting each fabric individually, one by one. No one had told her that you can pile them up, fold them over and cut through them quicker!

One more tip--use the grid on your mat to square your fabric up, but use the lines on your ruler to measure. And, if possible, use the same ruler for your entire project. If some pieces get off an 1/8 of an inch here and there, it could definitely add up when all those pieces are joined together.

When I was done cutting out, I put all the pieces in ziploc bags (best invention ever!) to keep them organized! Ziploc bags kept me sane the two summers I was sewing 50 drill team uniforms!

Out of 40 fat quarters--20 green and 20 blue, I had more than half the fabric left over. I realize that the pattern needed that many different kinds of fabric to look scrappy, but I don't like leftovers. I'll try to use as many as I can in the border and binding.

Now comes the fun part--ready to sew!