Thread: Cutting triangles?

Now that my serger is FINALLY back from the shop, I'm starting "dry runs" towards the new costume I've been thinking/dreaming of for some time.

In short, I need any/all advice for cutting triangles accurately. I think I did "fairly good" on my first attempt with practice fabric - but am looking for any tricks my Bhuz sisters may know. I did my "best guess" by measuring off the selvage without benefit of a square cut end. This makes me want to get a carpenter's square! The fabric is somewhat stretchy too.

Just for reference, we're talking (2) isosceles triangles about 22" wide by 32" long (Turkish panel skirt) and another pair about 25" wide by 15" long (Triangular "Raffa" top). I would assume that it would be the same technique (whatever that is! ..l;,) used for making gores.

Hi Zorba,

Make a template of your triangle(s).

Use a metal ruler, and a rotary cutter (looks just like a pizza cutter).
Please KEEP your fingers clear of the blade, and don't cut to fast!
(Cut myself badly, when I was in a hurry, and the blade hit a bump in the fabric, causing it to jump up, on the ruler. There's special suction cup handles you can put on your ruler, to help keep your hands, even further out of the blades way).

I wouldn't use scissors, because the blades move the fabric, as they cross each other, and distorts the fabric a bit, before cutting it, this is especially bad with slinky knits.
If you absolutely have to use scissors, cut one layer of fabric out, at a time.

:-)

I use the cardboard grid I got at my Joann Fabrics store for $5. It's 36" wide by 64" long. It has some diagonal lines layed out on the grid and I place the fold of my fabric on the long straight line of the grid. Then I used the diagonal line to make the long sides of my triangle.

Depending on how many I need, I may use a piece of brown craft paper to make a template/pattern for cutting them out.

This is the method I use for making triangles for my trumpet skirts.

Make sense Zorba, or would a photo help?

Isosceles triangles from stretchy material? posterboard templates with the center lines marked (to control grain lines). Mark the cutting lines by plopping a chalk ball along the edges to avoid any stretching while marking and cutting. They do sell loose chalk in the notions dept of fabric stores. Or lightly run a fabric marker around the template edges.

Originally Posted by shahla

Make sense Zorba, or would a photo help?

Nope, makes total sense. What I did for the "first run" with trial material was this:

I needed a pair of 22" wide triangles - so I measured 23" along the selvage. I wanted them to be 30" long, so I measured 30" from the selvage at 11.5" from either side - with a 48" "yardstick". I then used a tape measure and measured from the end of the yardstick back to the two outer corners at the selvage - and adjusted the yardstick until these two measurements were the same. That told me the yardstick was correctly centered at the far end, giving me the point. I then simply moved the yardstick to each of the two sides, and ran my rotary cutter down the side of the stick.

Presto!

It seemed to work pretty well, even though I messed up on one side and let the yardstick shift while cutting - lesson learned - plus it really needed to be 38" long, instead of the 30". That'll be on the Mark II prototype. I wore the Mark I around to get a feel for it, it seemed "Ok", even if a bit on the short side. Mom-in-law cautioned me about cutting the triangles in opposition (nested) to save fabric - she warned me that if the grain of the fabric is different, "you can't do that". For the prototypes, who cares? For the real thing - the final fabric does have a grain (burned velvet), so I'll have to do it the "wasteful way". Thank Goddess she told me!

Maybe you could use iron-on stabilizer prior to cutting the triangles.

Rotary cutter tip - ALWAYS wear closed-toed shoes when using, lock the cutters closed after every use, and steer clear of the Chardonnay until you're through!

-Devora

Originally Posted by Devora

Rotary cutter tip - ALWAYS wear closed-toed shoes when using, lock the cutters closed after every use, and steer clear of the Chardonnay until you're through!

-Devora

LOL
Sewing without a beverage!!!
LOL

Originally Posted by Devora

Rotary cutter tip - ALWAYS wear closed-toed shoes when using, lock the cutters closed after every use, and steer clear of the Chardonnay until you're through!

-Devora

Um....do you put a shoe on your hand?
(I wouldn't have cut myself, if I had a shoe on my hand :-P)

LOL!
:-)