Rotary Cutters
Neile Graham
having a Mother's Day sale on Olfa cutters and mats.
I went down to the local Hancock Fabric store (which I remembered from
advertising is related to Minnesota) and got 50% on all the materials.
I have yet to try them, but one of my main sewing blocks is how long
cutting out takes me. I'm really looking forward to reducing the bulk the
bulk in my fabric collection and actually having some new clothes.
If I manage to do that I'll definitely think the money well spent.
Thanks again--
Neile
Kimberly Dauphin
>
>I have yet to try them, but one of my main sewing blocks is how long
>cutting out takes me. I'm really looking forward to reducing the bulk the
>bulk in my fabric collection and actually having some new clothes.
I heard a wonderful tip at the fabric store last weekend. It's such a
simple solution, I wonder why I didn't think of it.
This lady said she absolutely *abhors* cutting out the pattern pieces
from the fabric. So she does **ALL** her cutting in one fell swoop,
sometimes taking a full day to do it. Then she puts the piles of
pattern pieces, instructions, and notions in separate stacks. This way,
when she's ready to sew, there's no cutting or pinning needed!
I thought of an additional help: use the large, gallon-size Ziplock
bags for the piles of stuff. These keeps them truly separated from
each other - no chance of mixups, especially with similarly-colored
fabric pieces.
Good luck,
=Kimberly=
dau...@mv.us.adobe.com
--
__________________________________________________________
Kimberly Dauphin Adobe Systems Incorporated
dau...@mv.us.adobe.com Mountain View, CA
*********All these opinions are mine, not Adobe's.********
Beth Weiss
|> This lady said she absolutely *abhors* cutting out the pattern pieces
|> from the fabric. So she does **ALL** her cutting in one fell swoop,
|> sometimes taking a full day to do it. Then she puts the piles of
|> pattern pieces, instructions, and notions in separate stacks. This way,
|> when she's ready to sew, there's no cutting or pinning needed!
I still haven't gotten away from pinning, but I do something like
this--do a bunch of cutting, and then a bunch of sewing. (Does
anyone want to hear again how much I love my rotary cutter? :-)
I actually got in the habit of doing this because my husband
has been working in my sewing room--and that includes turning
off the power. I now have a pull down ironing board as well as
additional lighting, a ceiling fan, and more than an adequate
number of outlets. (I used to do the wiring, but Jordan thinks
all of the tools are toys, so we keep him away)
|> I thought of an additional help: use the large, gallon-size Ziplock
|> bags for the piles of stuff. These keeps them truly separated from
|> each other - no chance of mixups, especially with similarly-colored
|> fabric pieces.
I do this, as well--and have a separate (medium size) Rubbermaid
carton for projects that have been cut but not sewn.
One more thing I've started consistently doing is using tape to
"mark" the wrongside of the fabric. I seem to work with lots of
fabrics where it's hard to tell which is the wrong side, but it's
easy to tell on the finished garment when they don't match! By
marking each piece with tape, I always can tell which side I've
defined as being the wrong side. (If you're worried about the tape
not coming off, you can put the tape in the seam allowance)
--
--Beth Weiss
bwe...@cs.arizona.edu
MAUREEN BURNS
>ne...@stein.u.washington.edu (Neile Graham) writes:
I do sort of the same thing. I will cut out about 3 or 4 or 5 different
items at one sitting. I do all of my cutting on the floor, and I just pop
on the boob tube or the stereo for a little background entertainment, and
just go to town! Then, when I am ready to start sewing, I am that much
closer to a finished garment.
Now, if I could only find a satisfying solution for the part that I detest:
All the finishing work: hems, buttons, tacking facings, etc.
Maureen
jody.oxley
> ne...@stein.u.washington.edu (Neile Graham) writes:
> I heard a wonderful tip at the fabric store last weekend. It's such a
> simple solution, I wonder why I didn't think of it.
>
> This lady said she absolutely *abhors* cutting out the pattern pieces
> from the fabric. So she does **ALL** her cutting in one fell swoop,
> sometimes taking a full day to do it. Then she puts the piles of
> pattern pieces, instructions, and notions in separate stacks. This way,
> when she's ready to sew, there's no cutting or pinning needed!
>
> =Kimberly=
> dau...@mv.us.adobe.com
The only potential problem I see with this method is that especially
when sewing for my kids, I might not get to actually *sew* the garment
for awhile, and by then I may need the next larger size. I usually buy
multi-sized patterns and buy fabric one for one size larger than I plan
on needing. Then if I don't get to the project, I have a chance to use
it for the following season. I'd probably get a bunch of stuff cut out
with plans to sew, and something would come up and it would get put
aside--it's the story of my sewing life! I do have a friend who comes
over with her machine and sews with me--it really makes a difference
to set up scheduled S&B sessions (that's Stitch & Bitch). Usually we
do more of the stitching, but every once in awhile... 8-)
jody oxley
Keerthi Y. McIntosh
Fellow sewers,
This is my first time to reply to the net to alt.sewing and let me first say what a
pleasure to find so many people with sewing interests. I am looking forward to all
the hints,stories, joys and cries of each of you. I truly love sewing. My first
purchase with my new job (about 5 yrs ago) was a top of the line Bernina. It was a
great investment and it is my pride and joy. Sewing has never been the same.
This past weekend I resumed my sewing projects and I was cutting out a jacket/dress
pattern and was using my rotary cutter and thought I should post a note to the
net. Well someone read my mind and did it for me! :)
I noticed how much better a NEW blade in a rotary cutter cut fabric. I
started cutting my fabric out with the blade in place until it was damaged by a
pin so I replaced it.... boy what a difference! The cutting went much smoother.
I also noticed if I happened to cut my pattern paper (even just the slightest bit)
it dulled my blade. I have also noticed that cutting interfacing and lining fabrics
dulls the blade also. Have any of you noticed similar things? How often do you
change your rotary cutter blade? every new outfit (more often?) Any useful tips to
avoid the pattern paper and still get an accurate cut? ( I cut my patterns out before
I pin them to the fabric)
I think rotary cutters are the greatest thing. I am left handed and have never found
a comfortable pair of scissors ( I have ginghars) and I really like the smooth,
clean edges from the rotary cutter.
Keerthi McIntosh
zky...@orl.amoco.com
P.S. Cutting out (including marking pieces and applying interfacing) is my least
favorite part too. The jacket dress outfit required that every jacket piece be
interfaced also!!! I thought I would never get to sew it together.... but as of
sunday ... the jacket is assembled and the lining is waiting to be stitched :)
Dorothy Westphal
>
>
>This past weekend I resumed my sewing projects and I was cutting out a jacket/dress
>pattern and was using my rotary cutter and thought I should post a note to the
>net. Well someone read my mind and did it for me! :)
>
>I noticed how much better a NEW blade in a rotary cutter cut fabric. I
>started cutting my fabric out with the blade in place until it was damaged by a
>pin so I replaced it.... boy what a difference! The cutting went much smoother.
>I also noticed if I happened to cut my pattern paper (even just the slightest bit)
>it dulled my blade. I have also noticed that cutting interfacing and lining fabrics
>dulls the blade also. Have any of you noticed similar things? How often do you
TIP NUMBER ONE: use a hard carriage return when you post! :-)
Tip number two: save your older cutting wheels to use on non-fabric items.
Tip number three: (for everyone who said they do a lot of cutting at
once because cutting is boring) That is when you
listen to the books on tape you picked up at the
library! Tedious tasks are a lot easier to handle
when someone is reading you a story. :-)
--
Dorothy Westphal, Sunnyvale, Calif. % Always expect the good. %
west...@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com % %
Keerthi Y. McIntosh
Dorothy Westphal writes:
>TIP NUMBER ONE: use a hard carriage return when you post! :-)
I apologize for my carriage returns.... I am aware of the effect on some systems
and "try" to make a concientious effort to include HARD carriage returns at the end
of each line.
Keerthi McIntosh
zky...@amoco.orl.com
Elizabeth Martin
> In article <1993May10....@adobe.com>, dau...@adobe.com (Kimberly Dauphin) writes...
>
> I do sort of the same thing. I will cut out about 3 or 4 or 5 different
> items at one sitting. I do all of my cutting on the floor, and I just pop
> on the boob tube or the stereo for a little background entertainment, and
> just go to town! Then, when I am ready to start sewing, I am that much
> closer to a finished garment.
>
> Now, if I could only find a satisfying solution for the part that I detest:
> All the finishing work: hems, buttons, tacking facings, etc.
>
> Maureen
>
>
fails that some thing happens, I get side tracked and 1 yr later it won't fit.
(Lost weight and/or gained it if you know what I mean)
I have found the most perfect table for cutting out thoes projects on. Beleive
it or not a drafting table is perfect. I have one of thoes comercial types.
It is 4 ft x 6 ft in size, has a rubber padding simular to the roatary cutter
pads which covers the whole table top which makes thoes pads unnecessary, and
it raises and lowers from hip height to waist height so I don't have to bend
over or crawl across the floor. Since I have been using this table, my back
quit giving me fits after my marathon cutouts.
I have found a solution to thoes detesting little painfull had stuff, shirt
tail hem (on machine), fuseable webbing for the facings etc, and buttons, well
if you can't get your mother to do it for you, do it in the evnings watching
TV when you don't feel like cleaning the kitchen. (Good excuse "I want to wear
this tomorrow.") Ask me I know them all.
E. Martin