Method Monday, No. 6, Strip Cutting Basics for Handbags

I love fabric!

And I am very careful of how I cut fabric, so nothing is wasted.

When I started to design handbags I realized a majority of the time I am cutting out squares or rectangles for the bag pieces. If you have a bag with pieces that are not round or curved, this is a splendid way to cut pattern pieces. Plus I have found that cutting out pieces in this manner will yield super accurate cut pieces.

Step 1, 

make a list of the pieces I need with the sizes of each piece

Step 2,

make a note of the pieces you need and what that strip widths are needed to cut.

Step 3

I leave the fabric with the fold.  Make sure it is flat and the selvage edges match.  This may mean the cut edges may are not even,  On the cutting mat use the lines to lay the selvage edges even with the cut edges going over the first line.  If you look at the fabric here it is perfectly straight on the line as it was just cut to even it up. 

Step 4

Now start cutting the various strips in whatever widths you need.  

Keep in mind that the strip cut width may actually be the height of the pattern piece

 because the way the print runs. 

I do not think you want to cut a piece upside down or sideways.

Here is the strip being cut.

Step 5,

Now cut the pieces you need from that strip.

Label them if you need to so that you can keep track!

Make sure to fold nicely any left over fabric, and tuck smaller pieces into the folded fabric.  

Sometimes it is easy to label the pieces and what sizes they are.  

It is a time saver!

If you love this fabric...come hang out tomorrow as I will be doing my first ever sew-a-long with this oh so lovely neon pink fabric.

Thank-you,

Cheryl