Strip Swap!

Hang on girls, I promise I will show you how to do this cutting tomorrow [Saturday]. I will get Rebecca to do the pictures for me, bit difficult holding yardage and a camera without mucking it all up.

I will also show you how to correct that kink when and IF you get one. It is really easy.

jan

OK I got Rebecca to take some piks for me today, she took them at a very strange angle so have had to turn them so they are straight for you girls. they go from number 1 ---16. I have put little comments beneath the pictures, BUT if you don't understand what any of it means. ASK, please ask me. I am forever saying this at my group, but no they ask the person sat next to them who doesn;t know and guress what....disaster each time.

It is what I am here for, to help you in any way I can so go look at the pictures, I opened a new album and called it, STRAIGHT STRIPS with battyjan.

Here are a couple of piks for you to see I did do as I said I would, go see the album though for the rest.#

This is the way I always cut my strips [minus the deliberate V bit] you may do yours differently and if you do and it works for you, that is fine, I am not saying you all have to do it my way, I am just trying to help out.

jan

I've had a good look at the album, like the way you deal with a kink. Thanks

Phew....

Great work Jan! Rosemary

Edited By rosemary Rosenfeld on 17/06/2012 08:59:49

Great set of clear photos, Jan. The only thing that I would add is to recheck for straightness after cutting a few strips. It is amazing how much the fabric can move at times.

Margaret

Hi Katy - Rosemary told me all about the fabric swaps - I just hadn't seen them before - I love the idea of this one - will definitely join in. Quite happy to put a few of extra strips in to cover for the wee bit of extra postage. Looking forward to getting the final descision/instructions about what is wanted this time round.

Regarding the "kinked" cut strips, my years of working with large lengths of fabric taught me that curtains and blinds etc present the same "straightening problems as do the smaller patchwork strips. I was taught that what you need to do to make sure your fabric is "straight and square" from edge to edge is as follows - hope I can explain it in text !!??

So, get hold of your fabric, folded in half, selvedge to selvedge. Usually you will see that the two selvedges do not hang down "parallel" to each other - in other words, one runs away at an angle to the other. If you then take your horizontal edges and "move" them up or down against each other, you will see that the selvedges can be "made" to hang vertically parallel. You will often see that the "edge to edge" cut that you "bought" can be quite considerably "out" but doing this gets your horizontal and vertical "threads" running square to each other. OK so far???

Having achieved this happy state, carefully take your fabric, without letting these selvedges move again, and lay it flat on the cutting mat. Line up your ruler witth fold, as normal, and trim the horizontal edge square to selvedges/fold. If oyu do this and thencarefully line up your ruler with you fold again and cut your strip width I think you will find things successful. If you are not brain dead after reading this somewhat convoluted explanation (I could show you in one minute flat if you were sitting here beside me!!!), perhaps those of you who have had problems could give it a try and maybe let me know if it helps?

Cheers Margaret/Winnie - just trying to show that I am not always a 'bear of little brain"!!?????? xx

OH DEAR - I was too quick to think I was not a BOLB - Help - sorry - was a page behind the latest posts when I wrote my epic on cutting fabric straight - I just saw that Jan has already been addressing the issue - sorry folks for the unnecessary blurb!!!! However, as I wrote it all, I've left it in situ!!!!

Edited By Winnie the B.O.L.B on 17/06/2012 09:10:38

Thanks girls, it's always good to hve these things reinforced. I notice in pic. 15 Jan that you have double folded the fabric, do you usually do that? Obviously it is a good thing for anyone without a very long ruler.

so ...... you wash and iron your fabric with the selvedges on and use them for lining up? I am always wondering whether to cut them off first or not. After washing they can tighten up.

Hi Winne,

Thats how I was also taught to get the fabric straight.

Jan I understood your instructions and feel confident to take part in the swap! So count me in.

Claire x

Jan

Thank you for your photo album - explains all, thanks

Mal

Jan - your picture guide is great - much easier to understand than my long epic tale!!!!

Two questions though -

Jan - you asked us to wash the red fabric to cope with the possible dye problem - should we all also be washing any "whiter" fabric to make sure that every piece of fabric is in the same condition and we know what we are dealing with when we come to actually use them? I'm normally one of the "don't wash beforehand" brigade so it would be good to have that info.

Also, what would be the answer to Sylvia's question if you ARE washing the fabric - I have always been straightening up unwashed fabric so the tightened selvedge problem hasn't reared its ugly head.

Cheers

Margaret xx