How to cut linen and evenweave straight

Step 1: Measure how much you need (measure twice, cut only once is a really good rule to stick to) and make a small snip on the edge of your fabric where you want to cut. 

Step 2: Ease the end of one thread free from the fabric. Pull on this thread a little until your fabric begins to gather, slide the gathers along the fabric away from you and keep pulling gently.

Step 3: Keep pulling on the thread and slide the gathers to the other side of your fabric. Don't worry if the thread snaps, you can just pull the end out again and carry on where you left off.

When you get to the end and the thread is pulled free, smooth out the gathers in the fabric by gently pulling it straight. You are left with a line where the thread is missing in your fabric which is really easy to follow and guaranteed to be straight.

Here's a close up of the line you can cut along

I hope this quick lesson helps those who are nervous about cutting their fabric to size - it works on any evenweave or linen.

Freebie: I Think I Love You...

A simple free design stitched using only backstitch and a few french knots (beads or colonial knots can be substituted) - I used one strand throughout.

The model was stitched with Gentle Art threads - Tutti Frutti, Buckeye Scarlet, Black Crow but feel free to choose your own colours.

To finish it I backed it with iron-on interfacing - this gives the fabric some body and prevents the edges from fraying badly

I then carefully machine stitched around the edge of the design with a thread that (almost) matched the fabric and added the blue paperclip as a decoration.

If you want to share this freebie with your friends please direct them to this blog.