Preparing fabric properly is key to a successful quilt that is smooth, accurate, and long lasting. This page provides links to articles giving directions for fabric preparation and fabric cutting for quilts.
Should I prewash my quilting fabrics?
Prewashing quilting fabrics is considered an optional fabric preparation but is often recommended. Washing the fabric removes chemicals, prevents shrinkage, and helps set colors.
It is suggested to use a mild detergent with no fabric softener and to wash like colors together.
For precuts like jelly rolls, layer cakes, and other fabric that comes already cut, an exception can be made regarding washing to prevent fraying.
One of the articles below shows techniques to prevent fraying when prewashing fabric for quilting.
Be sure not to mix pre-washed and unwashed fabrics to avoid distortion once the quilt is complete.
After washing and drying it is important to press the fabric to get rid of wrinkles to flatten the fabric for accurate cutting. Use a hot iron with steam and press, don’t drag, to avoid stretching.
Using spray starch or Best Press is optional but helps provide a crisp finish especially good for piecing small or bias cuts.
Why should I square up the fabric?
Squaring up the fabric ensures the fabric edges are aligned and the cuts will be accurate.
To do this, fold selvage to selvage (finished edge to edge) so the fabric lies flat. Next, trim the raw edge with a rotary cutter and ruler to make the fabric cutting straight and 90 degrees from the fold.
How do I cut fabrics?
To cut fabric accurately, there are several fabric cutting tools to consider. Rotary cutters and rulers or scissors are a way to cut fabric by hand. There are also links below to fabric cutting machines, like Accuquilt, Cricut, Silhouette, and others.
Be sure to use sharp blades for clean cuts. Cut multiple layers only if the cutter can handle it cleanly. Always “measure twice, cut once”.
How can I organize my quilt pieces?
Staying organized saves time and saves sanity! There are many ways to do this. Pieces or groups of pieces can be labeled with sticky notes or clips. Special flat headed pins can have numbers written on them to delineate rows or columns or groups.
Use trays, bins, or zip bags to keep groups of pieces sorted by block or row.
Do you want to know tips for bias cutting, cutting using templates, easy ways to cut fabric straight with a rotary cutter or scissors?
Keep scrolling down this page to learn more about fabric preparation, fabric cutting, fabric cutting tools and so many other tips!
Ready for the next step of quilt piecing once the fabric is cut? Go to this page!
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It’s important to know the best scissors or tools for cutting fabric. This article explains the five best that you will find affordable.
Nana Sews
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This video demonstration and photo demonstration shows how fast the Accuquilt Go! Big Cutter can cut fabrics. Also, pros and cons for using this fabric cutter.
Needlepointers.com Staff
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The first step in creating a quilt is cutting the fabric. This article discusses how to improve your cutting skills.
Lee A Heinrich
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Automatic cutting systems are acurate, effortless and 10 times faster than conventional methods. Accuquilt has many systems.
Affiliate Link to Accuquilt
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This post demonstrates how to cut five-inch patchwork blocks.
Needlepointers.com
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Learn what cut on the bias means and get 4 excellent tips for working with bias edges.
Designed to Quilt
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Here is a tutorial on how to cut fabric on the bias.
Bobbin In Quilts
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In this post, the author explains how to cut the fabric instead of the cardboard template.
Nori's Stuff
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Learn all about cotton fabric - quilting cotton and apparel cotton.
Heather Handmade
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Learn 4 easy methods on how to cut fabric straight with a scissor (or rotary cutter).
Hello Sewing
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Amy Smart shares in this post about the Cricut maker's capabilities for cutting fabric for quilt blocks.
Diary of a Quilter
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Read this article to discover Nana Sews's testing results of the six best self-healing cutting mats.
Nana Sews
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This post discusses various DIY cutting table options for your sewing and quilting studio.
Closet Core Patterns
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Here is a tutorial on how to cut your own jelly roll strips!
Loganberry Handmade
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Build a DIY sewing and cutting table with cubbies underneath with this free tutorial.
Sew Can She
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Follow these steps to get striagh, clearn fabric cut on all types of fabric, such as cotton, faux fur or chiffon.
WikiHow
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Fabric cutting accurately is the key first step to a successful quilt or sewing project. Here is a beginner's guide that features essential cutting tools and various cutting methods
Textile Mentor
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What is fussy cut? In quilting fussy cut is the phrase used to describe when a motif, image or specific area of fabric is cut around and used on a quilt or in a quilt block rather than randomly cutting the fabric.
Needlepointers.com
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Fussy Cutting is the practice of carefully selecting and cutting printed fabric pieces to feature a specific image for the center of a quilt block.
Polka Dot Chair
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One of the most important skills for beginner quilters is cutting fabric for a quilt. Here is a guide for beginners.
Homemade Emily Jane
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Half square triangle units consist of square units formed by two 90-degree triangles. Each triangle occupies half of the square's area.
Needlepointers.com
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Check out this article to get the scoop on how to use a rotary cutter and some handy safety tips to keep in mind while you work.
String and Story
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Learn all about jelly roll quilts with this comprehensive guide and also how to make your own jelly roll strips.
Sarah Maker
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A tutorial on how to cut fabric for quilting.
Rachel Rossi
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This tutorial is on how to square fabric and cut perfect patchwork squares.
The Willow Market
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How many of you have experienced the quilt ruler slip and slide while you’re running the rotary cutter along the ruler’s edge? Here is an easy solution to stop it.
Needlepointers.com Associate
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Learn how to quickly and accurately use a rotary cutter to cut lots of squares or rectangles.
Gigi's Thimble
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If you prewash fabric, how do you prevent fraying? Learn some techniques on how to stop fraying.
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Check out this tutorial video and also step-by-step written instructions on how to cut templates for quilting.
Suzy Quilts
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Make cutting fabric safer and easier with a Quilter's Slidelock. It is an excellent non-slip straight-edge cutting tool that solves one of a quilter's most annoying problems, the ruler slipping and sliding while cutting fabric. It's a very clever tool that helps more safely and accurately cut fabric for quilting, sewing and crafting.
Needlepointers.com Associate
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This article is on how to use a rotary cutter when cutting fabric for a quilt or project.
Nana Sews
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Here are some helpful tips and tricks you might want to know when using a rotary cutter to cut fabric.
You Make It Simple
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How big is a yard of fabric? This depends on the widths of the fabric, length of the fabric, and whether you are measurement is United States or Imperial measurement. Also, Free Fabric Yardage Calculator
Nana Sews
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Learn how to cut fabric strips using the stripology ruler.
Ships and Violins
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Learn how to cut the t-shirt apart, how to stabilize and how to cut the t-shirt into useable blocks.
Needlepointers.com
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When quilting, curved piecing and irregular shapes are two things that will require working with templates. This post has some key tips on working with templates.
Cotton and Joy
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Some quilt patterns will require you to make a template. In this blog post, you will learn the making, the use and the cutting of multiple templates.
Denyse Schmidt Quilts
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This article by Amy Smart is her opinion on pre-washing quilting fabric.
Diary of a Quilter
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This article shows how to cut "WOF" strips.
Lo & Behold
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