Cutting satin; Or: Crime Delayed

Crime scene:
Muslin-covered cutting table, Cea's sewing room.
Victim: (soon to be cadaver, if she keeps cutting at the same rate):
One length of expensive, slithery satin, destined to back a rather
nice fake fur sofa throw. Simple slash-and-sew project.
Transgression:
First attack on fabric, an attempt to even the ends: Trim neatly,
eyeballing as she cuts. Usually works.
Huh. Not so good. Further off than before. Odd.
OK, she can deal: tries same method with opposite end of fabric, with
same #&%$@#!!! results.
Third lunge: tearing.
BIg mistake. Fabric now less even than before. Might make good bias
strips, though. The degree of slant is about right. scratches head and
feels stupid, cause she knows better.
Fourth stab: Line up fabric selvages with outer edges of huge green
quilting mat, lay sheetrock square across length of fabric, draw new
cutting line. Shoulda thoughta this first, uh-huh.
Except this results in another extremely mangled end. WHAT THE
#@^%$&*&^%???!!!
Perp decides to have a glass of wine and mull things over, as the
scissor-riddled body lies mutely on the mat.
She seems to have met Satin From Hell, The Beast Which Refuses To Be
Tamed.
Drinks another glass of wine as she sullenly regards her foe. Two
glasses segues into three, and the world becomes a nicer place, as
murderous thoughts recede into Scarlett's mantra: "I'll think about it
tomorra!"
Cea still thinkin'

Simple slash-and-sew project.
Transgression:
First attack on fabric, an attempt to even the ends: Trim neatly,
eyeballing as she cuts. Usually works.
Huh. Not so good. Further off than before. Odd.

Have you tried your rotary cutter? It was suggested to me for some very
slithery lightweight silk. I was dubious at first, but laid out the pattern,
weighted it down with my trusty pattern weights, got out the rotary cutter,
used the quilting ruler (I don't quilt, btw) for the straight lines and went
very carefully around the curves and it worked like a charm. The silk stayed
where it was supposed to be, and came out perfectly cut.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

On Thu, 8 Jan 2004 22:53:23 -0500 (EST), wrote:


Crime scene:
Muslin-covered cutting table, Cea's sewing room.
Victim: (soon to be cadaver, if she keeps cutting at the same rate):
snip

LOL. We've all done it, haven't we? My favourite was tearing silk and the
tear went the other way - up the warp instead of the weft...

You could try starching it to within an inch of its life before cutting
again.

Best of luck, anyway.

Trish

Pin the selvages to a long sheet of paper; fluff and pat out flat (DON"T
STRETCH IT!); then pin pattern and cut out. See Connie Crawford's
"On laying out and cutting accurately" in issue 97 of Threads.

It works. It's pretty painless. It prevents distortion. And if you
leave the fabric pinned to the paper, it doesn't wrinkle or fray.

Kay Lancaster

Thank you Cia for such a sympathetic giggle and the rest of you for ideas.
We are expecting the first baby in the family for 14 years. I have some
beautiful silk to cut and will follow your suggestions. Many, many thanks,
Polly

"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...

Pin the selvages to a long sheet of paper; fluff and pat out flat (DON"T
STRETCH IT!); then pin pattern and cut out. See Connie Crawford's
"On laying out and cutting accurately" in issue 97 of Threads.

It works. It's pretty painless. It prevents distortion. And if you
leave the fabric pinned to the paper, it doesn't wrinkle or fray.

Kay Lancaster

Okay, Cea! Your turn to wipe up the piddle puddle!!!
Laughed so hard, I almost fell off my chair (into aforementionned puddle of
piddle)....
Been there - done that!
wrote in message
...

Crime scene:
Muslin-covered cutting table, Cea's sewing room.
Victim: (soon to be cadaver, if she keeps cutting at the same rate):
One length of expensive, slithery satin, destined to back a rather
nice fake fur sofa throw. Simple slash-and-sew project.
Transgression:
First attack on fabric, an attempt to even the ends: Trim neatly,
eyeballing as she cuts. Usually works.
Huh. Not so good. Further off than before. Odd.
OK, she can deal: tries same method with opposite end of fabric, with
same #&%$@#!!! results.
Third lunge: tearing.
BIg mistake. Fabric now less even than before. Might make good bias
strips, though. The degree of slant is about right. scratches head and
feels stupid, cause she knows better.
Fourth stab: Line up fabric selvages with outer edges of huge green
quilting mat, lay sheetrock square across length of fabric, draw new
cutting line. Shoulda thoughta this first, uh-huh.
Except this results in another extremely mangled end. WHAT THE
#@^%$&*&^%???!!!
Perp decides to have a glass of wine and mull things over, as the
scissor-riddled body lies mutely on the mat.
She seems to have met Satin From Hell, The Beast Which Refuses To Be
Tamed.
Drinks another glass of wine as she sullenly regards her foe. Two
glasses segues into three, and the world becomes a nicer place, as
murderous thoughts recede into Scarlett's mantra: "I'll think about it
tomorra!"
Cea still thinkin'

Thanks, goils, fer all the good ideas! I believe I still have an inch
or two extra with which to try some of the suggestions. If the air
around us turns blue, you'll know they didn't work...
Cea dreading my next confrontation with The Foe

wrote:

Thanks, goils, fer all the good ideas! I believe I still have an inch
or two extra with which to try some of the suggestions. If the air
around us turns blue, you'll know they didn't work...
Cea dreading my next confrontation with The Foe


There is always ritual sacrifice. Burn it. ;-)
--

Joanne @ stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/
Life is about the journey, not about the destination.