Square Up Fabric

Jan 11

Adding techniques to my sewing toolbox is priceless. Squaring up fabric is one of the first techniques I learned when I jumped into quilting. It’s a great tool to have due to the way fabric is printed and placed on a bolt, it can come stretched and folded leaving you with an uneven cut. Following the steps below will help your project start in the right direction. I square up fabric when making whole cloth baby quilts; however, I do the first few steps every time I need to cut fabric for a quilt. Let’s jump in!

A video demonstration is a part of this blog, scroll below to find the link.

Supplies Needed:

Fabric (any cut with selvage)
Cutting Mat
Rotary Cutter
Quilt Ruler (ideally 2)
Iron

How-To: Square Up Fabric

Time Spent: 12 minutes

Pre-requisite: Ensure all fabric has been pressed, I use Best Press to get the tough creases out.

Note: I normally never pre-wash, but there are always exceptions.

I only pre-wash if using flannel (especially for a backing) or any hand-dye fabrics

I recommend watching the video for detailed instructions. Short on time? I love watching YouTube videos at increased playback speed (under settings) to save time.

**1. Fold fabric selvage to selvage while lightly pinching between your fingers. Slide fabric back and forth until it falls flat.**

**2. Place on cutting mat with the fold closest to you and the selvage further away.**

**3. Fold fabric once more to help with space restrictions. Take the folded edge and line it up with the selvage. (reference image in step 2)**

The final look is represented in the step 3 image. Fabric will have 4 layers.

**4. Starting with the right edge, align your ruler to make a 90-degree angle using the folded edge (identified in step 3 image). Once aligned cut along the ruler.**

TIP: Take a peek at where all 4 layers of fabric end to ensure you are cutting at the right spot. This also helps ensure less fabric waste.

**5. Repeat step 4 on the left edge.**

TIP: If you cut with your right hand, use the second ruler trick. You can watch the video at minute x:xx for a demonstration.

**6. Cut off the selvage.**

I move the mat to ensure the bulk of the fabric is on your left while the selvage is on your right (if you cut with the right hand). Using 2 rulers again I stack them on top of each other to ensure one straight cut.

Tip!

If your cutting mat or ruler is not big enough to complete step 6, I recommend watching the video at minute x:xx to learn an optional way to cut off the selvage.

Click on the image to make it bigger >>