And, hanging beyond the table edge while you are pinning and cutting! True story —- I have actually seen sewers doing this. Doing it with knit fabric, no less. Tsk, indeed.

The 20 year old rayon you’re seeing in the header image will never be hung down the side of my table. If you have not yet learnt this practice of NOT letting fabric (even the sturdiest cotton) hang down one end of the cutting table, learn it now.

What if the fabric is a longer length than your cutting surface? You can do one of two things:

1. If your knees and back are in good shape, spread out the cutting mat on the floor, or place the fabric directly on a clean floor so there’s no danger of it hanging down.

OR (if the back and knees negate floor work) ….

2. After aligning the selvedges and all that, fold the extra fabric at one end of the table while you pin the pattern pieces on the other end. As you cut out the pieces, unfold the fabric and move it down to pin and cut subsequent pattern pieces. Never let the fabric hang! Sounds like a song title, doesn’t it?

What will happen if you do the cutting while the material is hanging off the table edge? The patterns will tend to distort, and you’ll wonder why the project is not what you thought it would be.

To end today’s post, a clip of my favorite cartoon baby, Trixie.

Samina

Hope you’re beginning to sew Fall 2024 stuff, or you’re way more efficient than the rest of us and have completed a spectacular seasonal wardrobe.

Samina