How To Cut Fabric In A Circle

Download Article

Download Article

Cutting fabric is piece of cake, but knowing how to exercise information technology the right way tin can make your sewing project easier. If you don't take the necessary preparatory steps, such as pre-washing, your finished garment could end up existence too small, especially after the first time you launder information technology. In one case yous know the basics of preparing and cut fabric, you can alter your technique to cut specific types of cloth, such as faux fur or chiffon.

1. one

   Cut the selvage off. The selvage edge is the densely-woven strip along the tiptop and bottom edges of the fabric. In some cases, information technology may accept a clean, finished border. In other cases, it may await frayed. You will typically observe it on both the height and bottom edges of the fabric.^[1]

   • On many printed cottons, the selvage edges are left white and unprinted.

2. 2

   Square the fabric to restore the original shape. Pull on the top-left and lesser-right corners, and so pull on the superlative-right and lesser-left corners. Depending on the size of the fabric, you may need to become someone to help you.^[2]

   • This is specially of import if you are working with stretchy, woven cotton wool.

   Advertisement

3. 3

   Pull a thread out of each cut edge if you are working with woven fabrics. Find a thread along your selvage edge, about ane inch (ii.5 cm) from the left cut border, and pull it out. Repeat this step for the right cut edge. When you lot are washed, yous'll have a sparse line on each side of your fabric, from selvage to selvage.^[3]

   • This is best for woven fabrics, like cottons and linens. It will not work on densely-woven, knitted, or stretchy fabrics, including imitation furs and velvet.
   • If the fabric was cutting unevenly, your thread may not hit the contrary selvage edge. If that happens, pull some other thread out farther away from the terminal 1.
   • Don't worry if the thread breaks. Just find the broken end and proceed pulling.

4. 4

   Draw a line forth each cut edge if you are working with knit material. Marshal the ends of a long ruler with the peak and lesser selvage edges. A square would be even improve. Utilize a dressmaker's chalk or pen to draw a line along the ruler/square.

   • This is useful for knit and stretchy fabrics, such as jersey. It's also a good technique to apply on fake furs and other densely-woven fabrics, such as velvet.
   • A square is a blazon of measuring device. It is shaped similar a half-triangle, with a horizontal, vertical, and diagonal ruler.

5. 5

   Cut forth the sparse line with a sharp pair of fabric scissors. Y'all should do this whether y'all pulled a thread out or drew the line. A pair of textile pair of scissors will work the best if you pulled the thread out.^[4] A rotary cutter volition work improve if you drew the line on.

   • Use cloth weights to hold the fabric in place while you cut it, peculiarly if you lot're using a thin fabric like silk.^[v]

Advertising

1. ane

   Cutting the pattern out using regular pair of scissors. Do not use your fabric pair of scissors to practice this. Even though design paper is very thin and fragile, it can still ruin your pair of scissors. Make the actress effort, observe another pair of pair of scissors, and use them to cut the design out.^[6]

   • If the design is badly creased, atomic number 26 it flat using a dry fe. This way, you won't distort the pattern when cut information technology.

2. 2

   Pivot the pattern to the cloth according to the instructions. Spread the textile out on a flat surface and smooth out all of the wrinkles. Pivot the blueprint to the fabric according to the layout printed inside the instructions. Pay attention to the grain lines on the pattern. These announced as long arrows. They need to exist parallel to the grain/selvage border of your cloth.^[vii]

   • If there is no pinning layout, use your all-time judgment to arrange the pieces.
   • If your pattern has a straight edge and the give-and-take "FOLD" printed alongside it, align it with the folded border of your fabric.

3. 3

   Trace around the pattern paper, and then remove the blueprint. Use colored tailor's chalk if the fabric is light, and white tailor'southward chalk if the fabric is nighttime. You can also use a tailor's pen if the fabric is lite. Once you have traced all of the pattern pieces, unpin them and set them aside.^[8]

   • Be certain to trace all of the darts and notches likewise.
   • Tracing the pattern means that you'll exist cutting right along the fabric and won't accept to worry about accidentally cutting the paper and ruining your scissors.

4. 4

   Cut along the lines you traced using fabric scissors. Use one manus to hold the cloth steady, and the other hand to cut the fabric. Brand sure that the fabric scissors are sharp. If they don't cutting through the material easily, or if they leave behind a ragged border, they are too boring and need to be sharpened.^[nine]

Advertisement

1. 1

   Cutting fake fur from the back. If you cutting faux fur from the front, you risk cutting into the fur itself and shortening information technology. Flip your imitation fur over, and trace your pattern onto the back/incorrect side. Cutting forth the lines that you drew using a box cutter or material scissors.^[x]

   • If you lot are using fabric scissors, brand sure that you glide the bottom bract through the fibers. You want to cutting through the backing of the fur, not the fur itself.

2. 2

   Utilize a rotary cutter to cut leather, pleather, and simulated leather. Prepare your leather downwardly on a cutting mat with the correct side facing up. Set the pattern on meridian and trace effectually information technology; do non pin the pattern, or you lot will leave behind permanent holes. Cut along the lines that you drew using a rotary cutter.^[11]

   • You can observe rotary cutters aslope the fabric scissors in a cloth store and a arts and crafts shop.
   • If the pattern keeps slipping, use paper clips or clothespins to secure information technology to the edges.

3. 3

   Dampen glace fabrics before cut them. Mist glace fabric, like chiffon, with water. Let information technology soak through, then set your pattern on top and pin it in place. Cut around the pattern, taking care to avoid the paper, then remove the pins.^[12]

   • Don't use a apparel maker'southward pen on the wet fabric, or it will bleed.
   • Yous can attempt using a dressmaker's chalk on the wet fabric, especially if it tin can be used wet, like a watercolor pencil.

4. iv

   Place tissue behind delicate material, just be aware that it can irksome your pair of scissors. Placing tissue newspaper behind the fabric will make cutting it easier. Practise this if you are having trouble cutting the fabric. Sharpen your scissors afterwards.^[thirteen]

5. 5

   Take care to marshal prints, plaids, and stripes when cutting patterns. When cutting solid-colored fabrics, you volition often fold the fabric in half start to salvage time. When it comes to prints, yet, you lot want to cut out your first fix of pieces get-go, then use them to match the prints for the 2nd ready.^[fourteen]

   • You volition demand to be more than fabric than the pattern calls for when working with prints, especially stripes.
   • Keep the direction of the prints in mind. If your material has palm copse on it, make sure that they are right-side-upward!

Advertisement

1. 1

   Copy the washing, drying, and ironing instructions at the store. When you lot purchase fabric off the bolt in a store, have a expect at one of the side edges of the bolt. If you see any instructions on how to wash, dry, and iron the fabric, write them down. If yous don't accept annihilation to write with, snap a moving-picture show with your phone or camera instead.^[15]

   • If you forgot to record the washing, drying, and ironing instructions, look the fabric type (i.eastward.: cotton fiber, chiffon, wool, etc.) online.

2. ii

   Purchase more fabric than yous need if it has a pattern on it. This includes prints, stripes, and plaids. Information technology is especially important if you volition exist sewing a garment. When you lot sew together a garment, yous will have to lucifer upward the patterns on the seams. This means that you will cease up using more than fabric than the pattern calls for. Anywhere from a ¹⁄_iv to ⁱ⁄_two inch (0.64 to i.27 cm) extra would be a safety bet.

   • You can disregard this step if y'all are cutting material for an item without seams, such as curtains.

3. 3

   Wash and dry the fabric according to the instructions on the commodities. Fabric tends to shrink after it is done. You demand to practise this before y'all kickoff cutting or sewing the fabric. If you don't, your finished slice will shrink considerably the first fourth dimension you wash it.^[xvi] Keep in mind that some fabrics need to be dry cleaned. In this case, take it to an experienced dry cleaner.

   • You don't demand to pre-wash muslin if you are using it for fitting or drafting.
   • You don't need to pre-wash fabric that's already been preshrunk. The bolt should say whether or not the fabric has been preshrunk.
   • Take the fabric out of the washer/dryer right later it'due south washed washing/drying. This will reduce wrinkles.

4. iv

   Press the fabric with an iron, if needed. Some fabrics don't wrinkle at all, so yous may be able to skip this step. If you got the cloth dry out cleaned, and so information technology should already be pressed for yous. If your fabric has wrinkles in it, however, you will need to iron them out. Remember to use the iron setting recommended on the bolt.^[17]

Advertisement

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I make clean, bang-up cuts?

  

  Kpoene Kofi-Bruce is a tailor, couture wedding gown designer, and the Creative Director of Mignonette Bridal and Ette the Wedding ceremony Tailor in Chicago, Illinois. With nearly ii decades of experience as a wedding gown designer, small concern owner, and vintage sewing enthusiast, Kpoene specializes in wedding ceremony gown design and the social history of hymeneals dresses. She received a BA in Creative Writing from Middlebury College and studied the business of way at the Manner Found of Technology. She is as well a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB programme and the Chicago Manner Incubator and has written nearly wedding mode for Jezebel, Goad, the Sunday Times, and XO Jane.

  

  Couture Bridal Designer

  Expert Answer

  Make sure you have expert, sharp scissors, and use fabric weights or pins to make sure the textile doesn't shift, especially if you're working with something like silk satin or flimsy fabrics. Also, be patient while you're cutting. Cutting is my to the lowest degree favorite stride because I'm so broken-hearted to get started sewing, but you will quickly observe that patience during this step equals great results!

• Question

  How do I stop the edges of fabric from fraying?

  

  There are many ways to accomplish this goal. Y'all tin try fusible interfacing strips, which you fe to the edges of the fabric and then that the ends of each thread are fastened to something. There are also special glues that tin can reach the aforementioned thing. If you have access to a sewing motorcar, you tin can hem the edges of the fabric quite hands. If y'all don't have a sewing machine, you lot can also paw sew a hem into place. Folding the edge over slightly for this stride is helpful equally well.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to become a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

• Sewing pins can become dull! If your sewing pins don't slide easily through your fabric, they are dull and y'all should purchase new ones.^[18]

• Don't rip your fabric. Information technology may relieve y'all time, but it won't give you a clean or straight line. It may actually misconstrue the fabric.^[19]

• Fabric stores don't always cut the fabric evenly. If you know that your fabric shop is guilty of this, plan on ownership an extra ¹⁄_four inch (0.64 cm) to make upwardly for any unevenness.^[20]

Prove More Tips

Ad

Things Yous'll Need

• Fabric scissors
• Regular scissors (if using patterns)
• Sewing pins (if using patterns)
• Iron

About This Article

Article Summary X

Before your cut your fabric, brand certain to wash it in accordance with the care instructions on the bolt and then that information technology doesn't shrink. One time your fabric is washed, cutting off the selvage and and so lay out your fabric so that it is square. If you are working with a pattern, pin the pattern to the cloth based on the instructions and use material chalk to trace effectually the design. Then, you can remove the pattern and use sharp fabric scissors to begin cutting. For more near how to cut different types of fabrics, go on reading!

Did this summary help you?

Cheers to all authors for creating a folio that has been read 66,552 times.

Did this article help yous?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Fabric

Share this post