Rotary Cutting

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Rotary Cutting

  • You can cut patchwork pieces without templates by using a rotary cutter. It looks a bit like a pizza cutter but is very sharp and can cut through several layers of fabric. You’ll need a cutting mat to use as a protective surface for your tabletop. You’ll also need a ruler made specifically for rotary cutting. They are usually plastic and thicker than a normal ruler so the cutter has an edge to rest against when you’re cutting.
  • Most times you’ll begin by cutting strips and then sub-cutting the strip into squares, rectangles or triangles to obtain your fabric pieces.

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    You’ll want to begin by folding your fabric in half with the right side out and match the selvages together. Fold in half again, aligning the fold with the selvage edges.


  • Place the fabric on your cutting mat. With your ruler (I recommend a 6” x 24” Omnigrip ruler) on top of your fabric, align the grid marks

    auctions 059 on the ruler with the folded edge at the bottom of the fabric. Leave enough fabric showing to the right of the ruler so that when you make your “squaring up” cut you’ll be cutting through all four layers.


  • Holding the ruler firmly in place, hold the rotary cutter at an angle to the cutting mat and the blade against the ruler’s edge. Roll the blade along the edge of the ruler starting just before the lower folded edge and cutting up toward the salvages. You now have a straight edge to begin measuring from.
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