Great quilting projects begin with accurate cutting. When you start with accurate pieces for your blocks, it makes quilting and sewing so much easier and less stressful. Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique shared her tips for successful cutting with us when she visited our studio. We loved seeing her method because everyone has different cutting styles. Watch Vanessa’s video and let us know what your tips and tricks for cutting fabric are in the comments section of the blog.
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11 comments
This is an unusual way to cut, and it's the way I cut, too. It seems most people say a right-handed person should cut from the left, but this way has always made the most sense to me.
My goodness, that thread wall is impressive! I don't use the mat to measure but I think it's great she said there's no right or wrong way to cut–whatever works is good! Is that fabric Gooseberry? Did she design it? Very pretty!
She never put the blade away. It was out the whole time. So dangerous and so hard to watch!
@jamie Yes! She is the designer of the Gooseberry Fabric collection!
First lesson to learn is close the blade as you come to the end of your cut always always close the blade each time!!!
I enjoyed this video, but I'm new and would like more information about cutting larger pieces of fabric. I can't always use a fat quarter. I never know how to lay it out right. Do I fold it with the selvages on the sides or across the top? Then cut? If I had been cutting that polka dot fabric I would have spent so much time making sure I was cutting it straight so the polka dots were lined up the same. Vanessa looked like she just laid it down and voila the dots were perfect!
Interesting video….but you didn't close your rotary cut after each cut. Leaving it open is a bad habit to get in to. Honestly that is what stood out to me.
Like some of the others, I also noted she didn't close the blade on the cutter. That was the first thing I was taught and it comes naturally!
I agree about closing the blade, especially as I have a child who is almost old enough to start rotary cutting and will certainly follow my lead and do as I do, not as I say. I do not know why it never occurred to me to stack fat quarters as I press but it has not. Great tip!
Thanks for a great video Vanessa! What brand of cutter are you using in the video?
Some more videos demonstrating cutting from yardage would be really helpful. I'd particularly like to see how to maneuver big cuts for things like unpieced sashing and borders, or for modern quilt patterns that have a lot of negative space.