How to cut fabric straight – basic tools and techniques

When it comes to cutting your fabric, you want to make sure it is clean and safe. Whether you are using regular scissors, an electric fabric cutter, or a rotary cutter, make sure that they are sharp before you begin. You can even use this time to do quick maintenance on your tools; oftentimes, the blades will need to be replaced over time due to wear and tear. 

There are many ways to cut fabric straight. To start, lay your fabric on a flat surface. For this, I recommend using a craft mat. If you do not own a mat, use a table or the floor and use a yardstick to measure the length and width of what you want to cut. You can then mark where you want to cut with chalk or, preferably, pins.

You may also want to place another piece of fabric underneath (or above) your fabric for easier cutting and minor fraying. This is especially useful for those who don’t have enough money for those expensive rotary blades because now you only need scissors instead of those high-maintenance blades.

If you want to get some fun practice, make sure to check this easy tutorial > How to Cut Charm Squares from Fabric

What are the best tools for cutting fabric?

Fabric cutting Brands

A few brands of fabric cutters are popular for sewists and quilters, like Olfa, Fiskars, Dritz, and Clover. I’ve used both Olfa and Fiskars, and I’d have to say that I find them to be about the same in quality. Tip: The Olfa and Fiskars blades are interchangeable, so you can buy one or the other for your cutter, whichever is on sale!

A yardstick

This is a long ruler with measurements on it. It must be at least 30 inches long so you can line up your first cut without having to worry about your first mark being too big or small. $5-$10. Find it here

Mats

When you choose your mat and ruler, I recommend the largest size you can afford. This will save you lots of time when cutting a yard of fabric or more because you won’t have to adjust the fabric as much on the mat. Again, this is a matter of preference on my part. The mat will also have markings you can use to line up your fabric. Smaller mats and rulers help travel with you to sewing meetings, but I don’t find it necessary to have a smaller size. The mat I use regularly is 24 inches long, which is great for cutting a yard of fabric into charm squares. $25-$35 Find it here

Chalk Pen

this is not chalked like what you use on sidewalks; but instead, it’s more like a pen with chalk inside it. The marks it leaves are quite noticeable and easy to see for future reference when you can use the chalk to help guide you and make sure that your cutting is straight. $2-$3 Find it here

A clear ruler

It is like a yardstick, but instead of writing measurements, it has all kinds of other markings, such as measuring tapes, square shapes, etc. If part of your fabric needs trimming, you can measure how much to cut or whatever else you need to do. $8-$10. The clear ruler should have sightlines or markings to help you line up your fabric. I use an OmniGrip ruler with a Lip Edge, which is great because it hooks onto the edge of the cutting mat to keep the ruler from slipping while you cut. Find it here

Rotary Cutters

My absolute favorite tool for cutting fabric is not scissors but my Olfa 60 mm rotary cutter. Rotary cutters look a lot like pizza cutters, and they come in several sizes. The smallest is 18mm or 28mm, the most common is 45mm, and the largest is typically 60mm. On the packaging, the 60mm rotary cutters say they are for thicker fabrics or cutting up to six layers of cotton fabric at a time. The smaller blades are useful for cutting around curves.

If you can only buy one size of rotary cutter, I’d say a 60mm is the way to go, but many people use the 45mm size. So did I, for a long time, and they work perfectly fine! You’ll also notice that the styles of the handle are often different, which is another preference. Whichever you choose, you’ll want to buy some replacement blades, which usually come in a pack of five. It’s best to change out the blade when you notice that your blade is becoming dull and isn’t making very sharp cuts. Generations Quilt Patterns has some great tips for when to replace a rotary cutter.

You may also consider an electric fabric cutter.

Scissors

Although I love my rotary cutter, sometimes I do use scissors to cut fabric. When you buy scissors, make sure they are heavy-duty and are meant for cutting fabric. Nothing will ruin your fabric faster than a dull, awful pair of scissors from the dollar store. Investing in a pair of quality scissors will make your sewing much more enjoyable! scissors are the easiest way to cut fabric straight because all you have to do is line your fabric up with the edge of the scissors and just push down on them, cutting through the cloth so that it looks perfectly even and smooth. $10-$35 Find it here

Types of Scissors

A smaller pair of scissors, called point scissors or micro scissors, is also helpful for detailed cutting. Another tool you may find handy is pinking shears! Pinking shears have a saw-tooth or zig-zag edge for cutting fabric. You may wish to cut fabric charms with a pinked edge, for instance, to prevent fraying. Pinking the edge of fleece fabric along joined seams will make the seam less bulky. Or, you might use this edge on fabric scraps for a ticker-tape quilt.

Caring for Scissors

To care for your scissors, make sure you only use them to cut fabric. Cutting paper with them will dull the blades. Also, try not to open and close the scissors unless you have the fabric in them because this will also wear down your blades. When your scissors aren’t cutting very well anymore, you can often take them to a craft store for sharpening. Ask your local craft store if they have a special knife or scissors sharpening day.

Pinking shears are great for cutting fabric straight because they have a serrated edge that easily cuts through material and leaves behind a somewhat zigzag cut instead of a flat line where the scissors pass over the top of the cloth. The zigzag marks it leaves help you determine exactly where your first cut should be, kind of like how chalk markings work. However, these are a little more permanent and a lot simpler to use only requiring one hand to use effectively instead of other methods where both hands were required. The downside is that it does cost quite a bit more than regular scissors since they can usually only be purchased from specialty shops or online websites. $10-$15 Find it here

Pins & chalk

everyone doesn’t necessarily do this method, but some people find it useful in getting their work done and finished faster than usual and without having to worry about wasting material because they can correct any errors they make along the way after pinning where they want things placed onto their main piece of fabric. This way it’s not a big deal if you make a mistake because all you have to do is make sure the pins are removed from your extra cloth and everything will be fine. In addition, since pins leave small markings on the fabric when moving them around you can reuse the marks by brushing over them with chalk so that it leaves behind a faint marking that can guide you in your cutting process. $3-$5

Conclusion

Among all of the fabric cutting equipment and tools available, scissors are by far the most useful for anyone to have around their house because they can do a lot of different things, including cutting fabric straight. In comparison, other devices such as rulers or chalk markers only work really well for certain types of cutting jobs while other methods like pinking shears work great but aren’t as practical to use if you’re on a budget because it costs more than regular scissors. However, no matter which method you decide it’s best to be safe when cutting anything that requires precise measurements so that you don’t accidentally ruin your cloth with any cut marks that could cause weak spots in your material where it might tear or rip open.