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Fabric Preparation and Cutting

There’s nothing like making a start on a new sewing

project. But before you rush in with your scissors it’s worth

taking time to prepare and cut your fabrics in a methodical

way. The following tips will help you speed up the cutting

process and end up with a more professional-looking bag.

Fabric preparation tips

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If you want to be able to wash your bags, you

will need to pre-wash your fabric to prevent the

fabric from shrinking during washing. Put your

fabric in a mesh bag to help prevent the raw

edges fraying in the washing machine.

Note: I don’t pre-wash my fabrics because I

don’t think it’s a good idea to wash bags. I

prefer to ‘spot wash’ by dabbing the affected

area with a moist cloth and a mild detergent.

Rather than washing your fabrics, you could

try using fabric protector sprays instead to help

repel dirt and block stains. Always read the

instructions and test the spray on a small piece

of your fabric first to ensure it is suitable.

Always iron your fabrics thoroughly before

cutting them.

Speed things up by ironing woven fusible

interfacing (if using) to the wrong side of fabrics

before cutting out. See Fig a.

A finger presser is a handy non-heat tool that

can be used in place of an iron. The flat surface

is angled so that it can effectively flatten seams

open or make folds in fabric – perfect for when

working with laminated cloth or for ‘quickie’

ironing jobs during sewing.

It is always a good idea to use a pressing cloth

when ironing onto the RS of your fabrics. A

pressing cloth will protect your precious work

from dirt, scorch and water marks from your iron.

Getting Started

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b

Fig a Wherever possible iron fusible interfacing (if using)

onto the WS of fabrics before pattern cutting. This saves the

bother of having to match up and iron an interfacing pattern

piece to the fabric pattern piece.

Fig b A rotary cutter makes cutting straight edges so much

faster and neater. If you have a steady hand, a rotary cutter is

great for curved edges too. Always use a rotary cutting mat

– they not only protect your table, they also help keep the

blade sharper for longer.