No.4 - CUTTING OUT USING SCISSORS

If you don’t own a rotary cutter and mat you will need to purchase a good pair of all purpose scissors, these should be sharp and cut to the point and kept only for cutting fabric.

You will also need a good marking tool. I usually use a 2B mechanical pencil very lightly on the reverse of the fabric, I find the softer tip doesn’t drag like a hard tip. Also I favour the silver pencil, water erasable pen and the new clover fine white marking pen for dark fabrics. There are many good markers available its just finding the ones that you are happy with.

To mark around the template
Make sure the edges of the block are cut on the straight grain of fabric.
Place the single piece of fabric wrong side up on a fine sheet of sandpaper (this stops the fabric slipping). Using a sharp pencil draw closely around the template, move the template and draw the required number on the fabric. (Note: our templates already have the quarter inch seam allowance added so shapes can be butted up to each other)

Cut out the pieces very carefully exactly on the fine line, take your time and be as accurate as possible. Use the template to check size after cutting.

Transfer the SEWING line onto the reverse of the fabric shape.

After cutting out and marking all your pieces set them out on a mat in their respective places. If you like it then you are ready to sew, if you do not like it then now is the time to change a colour or rearrange it.

Before sewing
Look at the block and work out the best sewing order, generally this is to join the smallest pieces together to make small units and then join the small units together to make larger units which ultimately go together to create the block or quilt. Always remember to try to avoid having to ‘set in’ pieces if possible (see PIECING)

Once you have decided the piecing order you are ready to sew.
See: SEWING AN ACCURATE QUARTER INCH & SEWING BY HAND

© Templates 2005 … Note: these instructions are copyrighted.
It is illegal to copy them, distribute or sell them without permission.