Cutting Multiple Fabric Strips

When you look at a pattern and it says to cut so many strips across the width of fabric (WOF), it can seem quite daunting at times, especially when they're small widths of sashing as in my Mosaic Garden Quilt kit.  

So I found a quick and accurate why of cutting multiple strips at once without having to move your fabric around too much. The instructions below show you how to cut six 1" x WOF strips in speedy time without having to re-align your ruler every time. Of course, if you have an 8" wide ruler, you can cut eight strips at once.

First, even up the left edge of your fabric making sure it's cut square. Now place your ruler on top lining up the left edge of the ruler with the freshly cut left edge of fabric. If your ruler has the extra ½” added to it, then ignore this and line the ruler up against the first full inch mark. In the pictures below, I'm using a 6" wide ruler. Cut along the right side of the ruler giving you a 6" x WOF strip - DO NOT MOVE the fabric.

Instead move the ruler to the left and line up the 1" ruler mark along the left side of fabric, then cut down the right side again to get your first 1" x WOF strip. Again, do not move the fabric, not even the strip as this could pull and distort the remaining piece of fabric.

Cutting fabric strips tutorial

Now move you ruler again to the left so that the 2" mark is against the fabric's edge, then cut down the right side to give you a second 1" x WOF strip. Carry on moving the ruler, but not the fabric until you have six 1" x WOF strips. 

This method can also be used to cut wider strips of fabric, for instance if you were cutting 2.5" strips, first cut a 7.5" wide strip, then cut this into three 2.5" strips without having to worrying about the fabric moving and having to check you are still cutting at right angles to the fold every time.