AGRICULTURE

Cutting quilt squares straight?

I am making a baby quilt, nothing too complicated, just a bunch of squares sewn together. I’m using a rotary cutter to cut the squares. The edges are all straight, but some of the cuts are off grain. How can I cut them on grain and will it cause problems to use the ones cut off-grain?

I usually try to straighten my fabric so I’m cutting with the grain, however, sometimes it’s a little off. The biggest reason to stay with the straight of grain is so it doesn’t stretch when you’re sewing the pieces together. Once they’re sewn together, it’s no problem. Since you’re just doing squares, I imagine you won’t have any trouble using the off grain ones. Just handle them carefully until they’re sewn on all four sides.

In the future, try to straighten up the fabric before making the first cut. Press the fabric so all of the creases are removed. Fold it in half, bringing together the selvages. Look at the fabric near the folded edge – does the fabric hang straight, or does it appear to skew or bubble sideways? If so, slide the front half left or right until it smooths out. Keep your selvages even, just slide left and right. Give it a little swing so the fold flops back and forth – does it swing evenly? Keep adjusting until you’re comfortable with it. Then place it on your cutting board, line up your ruler with the folded edge, and make the first cut to straighten the edge. Continue to cut strips by lining up the ruler with the fold and the cut edge. Every few cuts, square up the edge again.

You can find additional resources for quilters here:

http://piecemealquilts.wordpress.com/quilting-resources/

How to use a rotary cutter to cut strips for quilting

DeWalt DW5732 1-1/2″ x 17″ x 22″ 2-Cutter Spline Shank Rotary Hammer Bit $50.00

Quick Rotary Cutter Quilts (For the Love of Quilting S.) by Leisure Arts, Pam B $1.66

24in. Heavy Duty Rotary Paper Cutter – Roma $74.99

Olfa Quick-Change Rotary Cutter 60 mm NEW RTY-3/ NS $4.31

Electric Power Rotary Wood Carver Cutter Carving Tool $62.95

OLFA 45mm Rotary Cutter Blades 5 Pack New For Quilting $20.70

Olfa 45mm Rotary Cutter for quilting or Craft. Genuine Olfa…. $29.52

FORD 951 ROTARY CUTTER MOWER OPERATORS MANUAL 48 60 72″ $12.99

Singer 45mm Rotary Cutter + 6 Blades NIP $18.99

NEW!! Wilton **GUM PASTE ROTARY CUTTER** NIP $5.99

25pack 45MM ROTARY CUTTER BLADES sewing quilting -fits OLFA Fiskars Cutters $39.95

FORD 951 951A ROTARY CUTTER MOWER OPERATORS MANUAL $12.99

5pack 45MM ROTARY CUTTER BLADES Sewing Quilting Crafts fits Olfa Fiskars cutters $9.95

John Deere 1517 1518 2018 Rotary Cutter Tech Manual $39.49

NEW (50) 45MM ROTARY CUTTER BLADES -Sewing Quilting -fits OLFA Fiskars Cutters! $69.95

CLOTH CUTTER FABRIC CUTTING MACHINE ROTARY BLADE R741 $15.00

John Deere 527 Gyramor Rotary Cutter Parts Catalog $6.99

John Deere 507 Gyramor Rotary Cutter Parts Catalog $6.99

John Deere 205 Gyramor Rotary Cutter Parts Catalog $6.99

CLOTH CUTTER FABRIC CUTTING MACHINE ROTARY BLADE 3-1/2″ $15.00

CLOTH CUTTER FABRIC CUTTING MACHINE ROTARY BLADE 80mm $15.00

CLOTH CUTTER FABRIC CUTTING MACHINE ROTARY BLADE 48mm $15.00

Woods DS 120 10′ pull Type Rotary Cutter, Complete with Chains and Lift Cylinder $5,900.00

Fiskars Desktop Rotary Cutter w/Free Gift $22.99

Olfa 60mm 25 Total Rotary Cutter Refill Blades FREE Precision Art Knife!! $19.99

OXO Good Grips Box Grater $13.28 Oxo Good Grips, Box Grater, Coarse, Fine & Super Fine Grating Surfaces Plus Slicing Surface For All Types Of Foods, Includes Container For Measuring & Storage, Durable Stainless Steel Construction, Soft Grip Handle, Dishwasher Safe….

Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer $20.80 Benriner Japanese Mandolin Slicer The Benriner Slicer is a professional piece of equipment that no chef should be without. Its sharp super high quality stainless steel blades provide a clean and sharp cut to any vegetable. It comes with 4 different blades giving you the ability to slice in many various ways. The standard flat blade cuts perfect slices which can be easily adjusted for thicknes…

Progressive International Heavy Duty Nut Chopper $5.56 Love nuts but can’t take the pressure on your teeth? This nifty hand-turned grinder will soften up nuts of all kinds for you. Just fill the top half with the nuts of your choice, set the grind option to coarse or fine, and crank away. The soft santoprene handle works for both lefties and righties. As the handle turns, the chopped nuts fall into the bottom unit, which is marked in increments of 1/4…

SE Leather Hole Punch Tool, Heavy Duty 2.0mm – 4.5mm $1.18 9 1/4 in. Professional Leather Punch Plier with Revolving Head and Replaceable Punch Sizes 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, 3.5mm, 4.0mm, 4.5mm…

Pro-Quality 20-Piece Diamond-Point Bit Set for Rotary Tool – Glass, Stone, Ceramic $1.10 Professional Quality, 1/8 in. Shank, 180 Grit. Includes 20 assorted shapes covered with diamond particles. All bits have 1/8 in. shanks and come in convienient plastic holder. Excellent for fine detail work, cutting, engraving, carving, touch-up and finishing. Use on wood, jade, ceramic, glass, hardened steel, semi-precious stones and other hard materials….

Black & Decker LM175 18-Inch 6-1/2 amp Electric Mower $151.04 If you’re in the market for a solid, economical electric mower, the Black & Decker 18-inch electric mower is worth a look. Powered by a high-efficiency, 6.5 amp, Black & Decker motor, this mower offers quiet, hassle-free operation, without the mess and expense of gas-and-oil models. No need for tune-ups and pull starts, either. This mower weighs just 36 pounds, making it easy to push and maneuver …

Panasonic ER-GN30-K Vortex Wet/dry Nose and Facial Hair Trimmer, Black $12.48 TRIMS NOSE & EAR HAIR; VORTEX CLEANING SYSTEM; WET & DRY OPERATION; HYPO-ALLERGENIC STAINLESS STEEL BLADES; REQUIRES 1 AA BATTERY…

Rotary Cutter Cubby $3.51 A purple cutter cubby, perfect for storing a rotary cutter, pens, and pencils. Approximate size: 7-3/4″L x 2-3/4″W x 1-1/4″D.

Stick Rotary Cutter: 28mm $8.15 A 28mm rotary cutter that has a hassle-free blade change which cuts multiple layers of fabric and paper. The handle is contoured for added comfort. Use with left or right hand. New larger nut with plastic cap to tighten blade; fewer parts, and no small washer. The alignment markings ensure the blade guard is in the correct position. Caution: This rotary cutter blade is extremely sharp. Handle with care and keep out of reach of children at all times. Retract the blade when not in use. Fiskars Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Fingertip Rotary Cutter $7.4 This is most control you could have with a rotary cutter! Simply point your finger and push, and you’ll have a smooth, clean cut through any thin material without the bunching the larger cutters can cause. Fabulous control when cutting silk, tulle, vellum, lace, and much more! Package contains 1 complete cutter with blade and blade cover. Measurements: 3-7/8″ x 1-1/4″ x 1″. Color: light green. Constructed of plastic.

Alvin EKCP01 Cutterpede Rotary Cutter $34.5 With the extendaruler and lift up cutting arm this rotary cutter is precise and easy to use. Huge selection to choose from. High quality components.

45mm Rotary Cutter Blade Refill $4.6 Easy-to-change replacement 45mm steel rotary blade refill for Clover’s 45mm Rotary Cutter 7500 (sold separately). Convenient protective blade holder made of polypropylene included. Keep out of reach of children. Be careful when handling blade because it is extremely sharp.

Soft Cushion 18mm Rotary Cutter $8.7 Soft cushion handle rotary cutter cuts fabric beautifully with just the right amount of blade exposed whether held upright or at an angle. Functional design fits in your hand. Additional blades sold separately. Convenient for both right and left-handers. Cutter measures: 18mm. Keep out of reach of children.

Soft Cushion 28mm Rotary Cutter $9.38 Rotary Cutter cuts fabric beautifully with just the right amount of blade exposed, whether held upright or at an angle. Functional design fits in your hand. Convenient for both left and right hands. Additional blades sold separately. Cutter measures: 28mm. Keep out of reach of children.

Soft Cushion 45mm Rotary Cutter $11.94 Rotary Cutter cuts fabric beautifully with just the right amount of blade exposed, whether held upright or at an angle. Functional design fits in your hand. Convenient for both left and right hands. Additional blades sold separately. Cutter measures: 45mm. Keep out of reach of children.