Cutting For the Crafter
Quality Cutting Methods For The Home Sewist
Having sharp tools is the best method. You should own a sharp pair of fabric shears that are only for cutting fabric. Never cut paper, it will dull the blades.
Make it a habit to change the blade of your rotary cutter each time you start a new project. Cutting with a dull blade takes too much work and it can fray your fabric.
Make sure you are well rested. Never try to cut pattern pieces when you are tired or sleepy. It will only lead to mistakes.
Cutting Tools For Home Sewists
Aside from fabric shears and manual rotary cutters, there are a few electronic devices that make precision cutting simple and fast.
The electric rotary cutter can cut several layers of fabric efficiently. Most models operate at multiple speeds and come with self sharpening blades, this keeps you from having to replace the blades so often. There is even a cordless rechargeable cutter. They vary in price from $50 to $200.
There are a number of precision fabric cutting machines on the market now. Some of them even perform multiple jobs. They come in various sizes and the prices range from $130 to $600.
Cutting For the Small Business Owner
Steps in Controlling the Quality of Your Cutting
- Fabric relaxation applies more to knitted fabrics than woven. Fabric stretches when it has been rolled up on a bolt. After a length of fabric is unrolled, it should be laid out and left to relax for 12 to 24 hours before cutting.
Allowing fabric to relax will cause shrinkage. You will need to measure your fabric prior to the relaxing process to ensure you have the right amount
- Design a cutting plan or a layout to optimize the amount of cut pieces you can get from your fabric.
- Create markers A marker is a stencil that illustrates how the pattern pieces should be cut. Markers are printed on a large sheet of paper that is placed on the spread fabric.
- Fabric spreading refers to smoothly laying out fabric for cutting. Fabric is spread and stacked in layers or plies to be cut all at once. It is a very precise multistep technique that can be done manually or by machine. For a small scale or home based business the manual technique is suitable.
- Inspect Cuttings. The cut pieces are inspected to ensure the pieces have been cut to the correct specifications.
Cutting Tools That Can Be Used By Small Business
A fabric end cutter is a blade that automatically cuts fabric pulled straight from the bolt. This allows you to precisely cut large pieces or thin strips of fabric without having to touch the cutter.
High speed knife fabric cutter can come with clearance in one of three sizes, 5 inch, 8 inch, 10 inch. It is a handheld device with a straight blade that can make clean precise cuts through several layers of woven and knitted fabric with no frayed ends.