The First Step in any Successful Quilting Project is to
Square Up the Edge of the Fabric.
The goal is to cut just inside the raw edge of the fabric, so that the newly cut edge is aligned with the crosswise grain line of the fabric.
Step 1) Fold the Fabric off the Bolt:
- Fold the Fabric Once or Twice: That is the Question.
Step 2) Align Your Ruler(s) up with the Grain Line and Trim the Raw Edge off:
Conventional Methods: Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Just One Ruler or Two Rulers.
New Method: Make a Corner Square with Quilt Ruler Connector:
- Now You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too.
Step 1) Fold the Fabric Off the Bolt:
Fold the Fabric Once or Twice. That is the Question.
The goal here is to fold it precisely so that the grain line on all the layers of fabric are perfectly aligned with each other.
Option 1: Fold it in half, so that you can cut it with a 24” ruler.
Start by folding the fabric in half matching the selvedge edges. Then pick the fabric up holding it just by the selvedge edges. If the grain on both layers is aligned, the fabric will drape smoothly.
If the grain is out of alignment, the fabric will twist a little and not hang smoothly. You can adjust the top layer back and forth against the bottom layer until you eliminate any twists in the fabric.
Once you get the fabric to hang smoothly, keep the selvedge edges aligned, lay it on your cutting mat and finger press the folded edge.
Option 2: Fold it twice, so that you can cut it with a 12" ruler.
You can fold the fabric again by aligning the folded edge with the selvedge edges. You’ll have four layers of fabric to manage. Many quilters do this but if you don’t get all four layers aligned accurately, your strips will come out with a slight “V” in it and will be unusable.
Step 2) Align your ruler(s) up with the grain line and trim the raw edge off:
Conventional Methods: Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Just One Ruler or Two Rulers.
Like most things in quilting, there is more than one method to square up the edge and there are advantages and disadvantages to each method.
New Method: Make a Corner Square with Quilt Ruler Connector:
- Now You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too.The Quilt Ruler Connector™ with a built-in handle gives you the best of both methods.
It connects two rulers accurately to make a corner square. That means you can freely move two rulers at once, making accurate alignment a breeze.
Once aligned, you can easily remove the second ruler to make the square up cut.
You can also connect two acrylic rulers end-to-end or side-by-side to make a longer or wider ruler. Click here to learn more about the Quilt Ruler Connector™.
