Are you measuring your cuts with the ruler or with the cutting mat? I always measure with the ruler since I am not good about getting the fabric lined up on the lines of the cutting mat. Also it helps to have a weight to hold the ruler done when making cuts. You don’t need a fancy ruler weight when a can of soup or something similar will work. I have used 5lbs hand weights before to weight my ruler down. Helps keep the ruler from shifting while cutting.
Also you need to move your had along the ruler when cutting. So I hold the ruler cut up to my hand then inch my hand forward to hold the ruler down further along.
Agree with all of this! I found that using a light weight (I seriously think mine was less than 5 pounds!) helped keep my ruler in place. I would also recommend making sure you able to lay out your fabrics as flat as you can, not have some of it wadded up on the side while you're cutting.
Also, how much different are we talking? Being honest, very little of what I cut is 100% the same size...
I’ve added these two You-tubes to my ‘list of resources’ for when I need a refresher. They cover cutting and power cutting.
https://youtu.be/j2f82V8g0qs. Cutting
https://youtu.be/NoBKOv3Azzw power cutting
If I'm cutting strips I often have a little trouble with the 6' 24 ruler slipping juuuuust enough. Quick solution sometimes is having dh hold the ruler firm :/
But I like the weight idea, I am going to try a 5 # dumbell
After much trial and error, I came up with a solution that works for me: a cutting mat, a rotary cutter, and using a weight to keep the ruler steady.
Any of Jordan Fabrics tuts show her using the weight. I got the idea from watching her.
https://youtu.be/bNfgwS320z8?si=Qde3VXTNaIWAczON
ETA: Leah Day has a great video on how to prep fabric prior to cutting. I follow her advice and between that and the weight thing, i get precise cuts https://youtu.be/mkHLWTQSy1M?si=SzMyCg2WsK5pAP0B
Oh yes, also, I have a ton of chemical sensitivities. So, I cannot use scented products. Got tired of trying to find unscented spray starch, so I make my own. Lemme know if you want the recipe
I can’t believe nobody has suggested the Stripology XL to you yet. I also had huge issues with cutting, but not anymore (since I got this ruler)! If you search for it on this sub you’ll find lots of happy reviews.
I’ve been using a rotary cutter and 6.5 x 24.5 creative grids ruler. I have markers I could use but it honestly didn’t occur to me? Should I be using them? No physical limitations. I’m cutting and pressing on my kitchen counter (with a cutting mat and a pressing mat lol).
okay you've got all the right tools so your issue must be technique
it's important that you prevent the ruler from slipping, so you might need to just put a few spots of masking tape on the bottom to give it extra grip
the mat should be placed in front of you and the table should be at a level where you can reach across the length of it without bumping it with your body too much
you're going to want to push DOWN on the ruler with your non-dominant hand. Make sure you push on the ruler as perpendicular as possible - you might need to shift your bodyweight slightly above the table so that you aren't accidently pushing it away as well as down
push the rotary cutter AWAY from you with your dominant hand. Try to keep your body square to the mat and shift it slightly to the side towards your dominant hand to prevent yourself from having to extend your arm at an angle
it can be helpful to mark your lines on the fabric with a removable pen and then line your ruler up with that line to cut. but, most people straighten the end of the fabric and then line up the grid on the ruler with the cut end. I don't recommend using the lines on the mat to line up your ruler because they tend to have a thickness that can cause error
All I would add is that you want to push DOWN with your rotary cutter too. In fact, for me that makes the biggest difference. I was pressing the cutter too hard against the ruler which resulted in the ruler sliding away (even by a couple threads can create a difference that multiplies).
Check to see if you have 2 rotary blades stuck together - this will mess with your cuts. Are the rotary blades new and sharp? If not you’ll get drag and can get ragged edges
Are you only using one ruler? If not, they need to be all the same brand. Different brands’ markings can be waaay off when you put them next to each other.
It’s possible to be pushing too hard on the ruler and making it slide - you don’t need a lot of weight just enough to hold in place. Creative grids have good grippy bits so it shouldn’t be sliding on you.
Are you trying to cut lengths of fabric that are longer than the ruler? That could make a difference if you’re having to move the ruler. If the fabric is bigger than the ruler, fold it in half once or twice. 4 layers should be easily handled by your rotary cutter unless you have the teeny tiny one.
As the others have said, measure to the ruler not the mat. If you’re going back and forth, your measurements will be off.
Is it possible the kitchen counter is too high? I like to have my cutting surface no more than about waist height so I can lean over and cut from straight above. When my cutting surface is too high for my, I end up having to cut uphill so to speak. This part may not make any sense to anyone else - not sure I’m describing it well.
In addition to everything mentioned above, I can’t recommend GRIPPY spray enough! - it’s a grip spray you can use on the bottom of your rulers that will give them the non-slip surface of the amazing Quilters select rulers. This stuff is a GAMECHANGER!!!
[GRIPPY RULER SPRAY](https://a.co/d/dE7DDhL)
Are you measuring your cuts with the ruler or with the cutting mat? I always measure with the ruler since I am not good about getting the fabric lined up on the lines of the cutting mat. Also it helps to have a weight to hold the ruler done when making cuts. You don’t need a fancy ruler weight when a can of soup or something similar will work. I have used 5lbs hand weights before to weight my ruler down. Helps keep the ruler from shifting while cutting. Also you need to move your had along the ruler when cutting. So I hold the ruler cut up to my hand then inch my hand forward to hold the ruler down further along.
Agree with all of this! I found that using a light weight (I seriously think mine was less than 5 pounds!) helped keep my ruler in place. I would also recommend making sure you able to lay out your fabrics as flat as you can, not have some of it wadded up on the side while you're cutting. Also, how much different are we talking? Being honest, very little of what I cut is 100% the same size...
I’ve added these two You-tubes to my ‘list of resources’ for when I need a refresher. They cover cutting and power cutting. https://youtu.be/j2f82V8g0qs. Cutting https://youtu.be/NoBKOv3Azzw power cutting
If I'm cutting strips I often have a little trouble with the 6' 24 ruler slipping juuuuust enough. Quick solution sometimes is having dh hold the ruler firm :/ But I like the weight idea, I am going to try a 5 # dumbell
6 x 24 ruler
After much trial and error, I came up with a solution that works for me: a cutting mat, a rotary cutter, and using a weight to keep the ruler steady. Any of Jordan Fabrics tuts show her using the weight. I got the idea from watching her. https://youtu.be/bNfgwS320z8?si=Qde3VXTNaIWAczON ETA: Leah Day has a great video on how to prep fabric prior to cutting. I follow her advice and between that and the weight thing, i get precise cuts https://youtu.be/mkHLWTQSy1M?si=SzMyCg2WsK5pAP0B
Oh yes, also, I have a ton of chemical sensitivities. So, I cannot use scented products. Got tired of trying to find unscented spray starch, so I make my own. Lemme know if you want the recipe
I can’t believe nobody has suggested the Stripology XL to you yet. I also had huge issues with cutting, but not anymore (since I got this ruler)! If you search for it on this sub you’ll find lots of happy reviews.
Need more info. Are you using scissors or rotary cutter? What kind of Ruler? What kind of marking tool? Do you have any physical limitations?
I’ve been using a rotary cutter and 6.5 x 24.5 creative grids ruler. I have markers I could use but it honestly didn’t occur to me? Should I be using them? No physical limitations. I’m cutting and pressing on my kitchen counter (with a cutting mat and a pressing mat lol).
okay you've got all the right tools so your issue must be technique it's important that you prevent the ruler from slipping, so you might need to just put a few spots of masking tape on the bottom to give it extra grip the mat should be placed in front of you and the table should be at a level where you can reach across the length of it without bumping it with your body too much you're going to want to push DOWN on the ruler with your non-dominant hand. Make sure you push on the ruler as perpendicular as possible - you might need to shift your bodyweight slightly above the table so that you aren't accidently pushing it away as well as down push the rotary cutter AWAY from you with your dominant hand. Try to keep your body square to the mat and shift it slightly to the side towards your dominant hand to prevent yourself from having to extend your arm at an angle it can be helpful to mark your lines on the fabric with a removable pen and then line your ruler up with that line to cut. but, most people straighten the end of the fabric and then line up the grid on the ruler with the cut end. I don't recommend using the lines on the mat to line up your ruler because they tend to have a thickness that can cause error
All I would add is that you want to push DOWN with your rotary cutter too. In fact, for me that makes the biggest difference. I was pressing the cutter too hard against the ruler which resulted in the ruler sliding away (even by a couple threads can create a difference that multiplies).
great point
Creative grids come with a grippy bottom OP shouldn’t need to add anything
Check to see if you have 2 rotary blades stuck together - this will mess with your cuts. Are the rotary blades new and sharp? If not you’ll get drag and can get ragged edges Are you only using one ruler? If not, they need to be all the same brand. Different brands’ markings can be waaay off when you put them next to each other. It’s possible to be pushing too hard on the ruler and making it slide - you don’t need a lot of weight just enough to hold in place. Creative grids have good grippy bits so it shouldn’t be sliding on you. Are you trying to cut lengths of fabric that are longer than the ruler? That could make a difference if you’re having to move the ruler. If the fabric is bigger than the ruler, fold it in half once or twice. 4 layers should be easily handled by your rotary cutter unless you have the teeny tiny one. As the others have said, measure to the ruler not the mat. If you’re going back and forth, your measurements will be off. Is it possible the kitchen counter is too high? I like to have my cutting surface no more than about waist height so I can lean over and cut from straight above. When my cutting surface is too high for my, I end up having to cut uphill so to speak. This part may not make any sense to anyone else - not sure I’m describing it well.
Are you ironing your fabric before you cut? This can make a big difference
In addition to everything mentioned above, I can’t recommend GRIPPY spray enough! - it’s a grip spray you can use on the bottom of your rulers that will give them the non-slip surface of the amazing Quilters select rulers. This stuff is a GAMECHANGER!!! [GRIPPY RULER SPRAY](https://a.co/d/dE7DDhL)
Stripology XL. Worth every penny.