Pressing and Cutting Paradigm Shift needed

I just wash, iron, fold and put away and maybe cut the next day. I seldom cut the same day I have the fabric pressed and I never cut ALL the pieces at the same time anyway. Most of the things I have made are sampler type and each block had different sized pieces. The few I have made that are all the same size shape, I cut enough for a row or two then sew and cut some more as I dont want to cut more than I can use.

-- Kathy in CA Quilting Stuff:

You need to cut fabric in the same place you press the fabric. It is to time consuming to carry the fabric from one location to another. Also, then you can press and cut as you go.

My method: pile fabric collection on sewing room floor around the ironing board. Kick cat off ironing board, blow cat hairs off ironing board, press

1st piece of fabric, cut quilt piece - ironing board acts as cutting table

-this works for all but borders. Kick cat off pile of fabric, pick second fabric, shake cat hairs off, kick cat off ironing board, etc., etc.

I can't imagine having a cat free area. Tuxedo would claw down the door to the sewing room, while Tigger would get mad and spray something, just to let me know he shouldn't be excluded. :-)

lisae

frood wrote:

Ok, how do you fold it so you can cut it without having to iron it again?

I didn't really think about Giles and Spike . . .

When my ds was younger, I used the same system, although I always unplugged the iron when I was done. I guess I was lucky because he wasn't too wild. . . although once, he cut open a newly finished quilt too see what was inside. I was livid, and told his father to take him for a walk so I could yell to my hearts content. I never left scissors lying around after that.

lisae, who has learned how to repair quilts. . .

frood wrote:

I don't have a problem cutting fabric that has been pressed some time before. I am wondering if the humidity might be what wrinkles your fabric? Is it stacked so that there is a large amount and it weighs on itself? Martha Stewart has a neat pull down inside laundry line that would be great for temporarily storing fabric over a sewing area:

Taria

frood wrote:

Please visit my web page at:

See my Siberian Cat, Lilly, at:

Actually I just fold it in half, then in half again and so on until small enough to fold the other way (to make it sq). When I get ready to cut I just smooth it out a liitle by hand. I cut off a little off the width to make it even but the next time I cut the same fabric I just smooth it out by hand and match the edges up.

-- Kathy in CA Quilting Stuff:

Skirt hangers with peg tops are great for hanging pressed fabric.

Just a thought, but if you press a piece and then cut off what you need at that moment, but you don't want to fold it again, do you have a large wall that you can somehow attach it to so that it won't get those nasty fold marks? Is there a spare bed that you can leave it lay out or do one fold over (much faster to iron than 20 of the dang things)? Heck, I'd even try to fold it around a pillow to help reduce those creases....

Can you tell that I have a crease problem too? I haven't tried any of these yet....so let me know if anything works! ;-)

-- Dannielle from NY

Try hanging the pressed fabric in the closet on trouser hangers--or any hanger with a padding on it . It will just hang around, looking smart and pressed until you need it. RedQueen, hanging around herself! (but not so neatly)

Smoooooth! :)

OK, now that's not even a subtle beg - but then, nobody ever accused you of subtle!

But the hanger idea is worth trying. Thanks! And thanks, Martha!

Too much fabric indeed! I think somebody needs their mouth washed out with some Orvus. Harumph.

Wendy, dear, you need to talk to a slob here. I have a BIG house all to myself- so that has absolutely *nothing* to do with it. I bring home fabric. I wash the fabric. I neatly fold it into pieces about 4 in. X

10 in. and store it standing on it's side. When it's time to cut, I open it up, shake it out, then line up the selvedges so that the fold hangs neatly. THEN. I lay it on the cutting mat and smooth it with my little hands. I grab the next piece, line up the selvedges, etc. and stack it on the previous piece. Continue. Notice I NEVER mention the curse word. Then I cut. Then I sew. My QUALITY fabric comes from the dryer in such a condition that it is perfectly "safe" to smooth by hand, fold and store. And smooth by hand, then cut.

Been doing this for years. Do press seams during construction, do square up several times during construction of the block. Have won many ribbons and much praise. ;-)))

Leslie, The Laziest

The HairyFacedOnes 'N Me

RCTQ- Houston 2004..... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail.... but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn... that was fun!"

Obviously, you've never taken your QUALITY fabric out of the dryer because the dryer was needed for 17 billion pairs of tiny underpants, stuffed it in a laundry basket, forgotten all about it because somebody spilled milk, then life continued on, days or even weeks pass, then folded it the best way a toddler can, stuffed it into bins sloppy from multiple rootles.

Besides, ironing is zen-like. It quiets me.

Wendy, I may be a card-carrying sloth. There. I've confessed. Confession is supposed to be good for the soul and I hope my soul feels better. That said, I do not wash my quilt fabric and I do not press it. I store it very gently. So far, I haven't had any problems. I guess I would mend my ways if I were doing something in red and white. Assuming that you belong to the "wash first" group, maybe you could grab it out of the dryer and place it flat and smooth to cool, and fold softly. That might save you some pressing time. However, membership in the "don't wash" club always has an opening for one more busy quilter. When the Quilt Police drop in, we just fix them something chocolate and have a nice visit. Polly

I'm lucky in that I have fewer folk to accommodate on laps for eating, and they are all old enough to manage! ;) I also have a convenient cupboard in the dining room, just the right size and shape for the big cutting mat. I use that area for quilt cutting and for small garment pieces.

I have the little ironing board and the small cutting mat up in the sewing room, and the big ones downstairs, so wherever I am I can press and cut all in one session if I want to.

At present the dining table is occupied by selected pieces of plastic tanks, as DH and the Son and Heir to the fambly debts are building tanks together for entering a competition.

Kate XXXXXX Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons

on Kate's Pages and explore!

Very neat! Like it!

ALL my fabric gets that treatment! I iron fabric but not clothes! Shopping and ironing the laundry are DH's chores. The fact that the ironing pile is 4 feet high and the bottom layers have fossilized is NOT MY FAULT!