When cutting fabric using our rulers and mats, we often are taught to lay out our fabric and make our cuts by using the guides on the mat along with the measurements provided. Thats perfectly okay for rough cuts but when precision matters, we need to approach it differently. Most mats have increments of measurement up to 1/8 of an inch, however, even being off that much in some patterns can be quite a problem and can cause an entire quilt to be thrown off in the end.
We spend a fair amount of time and money when making these treasures, so accuracy is best. My first and hardiest recommendation is to purchase rulers from the same company when possible. This way you will have the most accuracy when measuring and cutting your fabric as there will be, hopefully, consistency amongst the different rulers.
Cut your fabric using a ruler following these guidelines. First, cut your fabric from the left side of your yardage to get a straight edge that you will use to cut your required measurement from. Instead of measuring your fabric from the guides on the cutting mat and sliding your ruler along making your cuts, use your ruler to determine where to cut instead of your mat.
If you are left handed you can use this same method just switch and cut from the opposite side.
Move the ruler to the marked increments and make the cut you need. This will actually work with most cuts making it easier than counting out squares or marks on your cutting mat grid and not moving your fabric for those difficult to count out cuts. While there are many options out there, my personal choice is for rulers by Quilter’s Rule. They can be purchased on-line at the companies website www.quiltersrule.com.
I hope these tips make your experience a more pleasant and accurate one!
Thanks!