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  1. #1
    Senior Member Pro Vagabond's Avatar
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    my latest DIY tip to noobs

    Hey all. After a couple weeks of working a lot, I'm back at making some more gear. I'm tackling an UQ, TQ, and a tarp. One thing I was having trouble with was marking my fabric on my floor. I like to see it layed out, but marking it on my berber carpet was less than effective. Once I put the fabric on a hard surface, marking it was a breeze. Things moved so much faster, even though I couldn't see the entire piece of fabric at once. Now, I just make a sketch on a piece of paper exactly the way it will be on the fabric. Then move on to the fabric, which is layed out on an old hollow-core door in my living room (My house is small).

    So, my suggestion is using a hard surface to mark on, instead of a carpeted floor. If you have a hardwood floor, be careful of the grooves between the boards. Tempered hardboard (masonite) from Home Depot or lowes would also work great. it comes in a 4x8 sheet and is smooooooth on one side.

    Okay, back to gearing, but wanted to share my newest revelation to anyone who may want it. By the way, others may have better suggestions or even say I'm completely crazy

  2. #2
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    Good tip. Masonite can also be used as a cutting surface, using a small soldering iron with a metal straightedge as a guide. It's handy to have some weights to hold the corners of larger pieces of fabric while you mark or cut. On nice days you can move the masonite work surface outside, but beware of breezes.

  3. #3
    Senior Member rjcress's Avatar
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    Thanks for the tip.
    My berber carpet makes lines and cutting "interesting".
    Maybe I'll try sweeping the garage floor and using that.
    "I keep telling myself that if I make perfect seams, nobody will believe that I made it... " -JohnSawyer

    My outdoor gear review site http://gear-report.com
    Gear reviews, DIY / MYOG projects, Outdoor gear discounts, sales and coupons updated daily

  4. #4
    Senior Member
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    I also have a good sized (3' x 4') piece of hard surface that I use to mark and cut on. Often I cut on the floor for big pieces so I can see the whole piece at once - I use the laundry room floor where I can clear a 5 foot by 8 foot area that is carpeted with thin, hard indoor/outdoor type carpet glued straight to concrete. Marking fabric on this surface is not terrible but not good either. If I sew a tarp, I plan to hijack the ping pong table for marking and cutting!

  5. #5
    Senior Member Frawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WV View Post
    ... It's handy to have some weights to hold the corners of larger pieces of fabric while you mark or cut. ...
    I raid the cupboard for cans of tuna for weights. Kinda like hockey pucks, but edible.
    - Frawg

    {generic tagline}

  6. #6
    Senior Member G.L.P.'s Avatar
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    I found that out as well the hard way PV LOL.....
    i lay all mine out on the basement floor....it's nice cause i can use my cutter on the floor with no worries at all
    It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

  7. #7
    Senior Member lonetracker's Avatar
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    i do all my measureing,marking and cutting on my bed.the reason i like doing it this way is 1 my small house is very cluttered and thats the biggest space i have and 2 i can spread the fabric out and pin it down to the bed taut so it does not move when i am marking it.for marking curves i pin a cord to each end of were the curve will be then keep curving out the cord and pinning it down till i have the desired curve.then trace the string.
    sure every once in a while i forget to pick up a pin and end up finding it when i go to sleep.i really like laying it out this way though.
    hangin u.p.
    bill
    diyin to hang

  8. #8
    Senior Member E.A.Y.'s Avatar
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    We have heavy table ware, so I just take all the table knives out (16) and use them as weights.
    I've used large washers, my stepson's rock collection (jumbled in a box) and hard cover books for fabric weights as well.
    -Liz -

  9. #9
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frawg View Post
    I raid the cupboard for cans of tuna for weights. Kinda like hockey pucks, but edible.
    I found tuna cans wouldn't hold ripstop on my tile floor, so I switched to blue painter's tape.

    Since my floor is tile, I line up my cut-line with a grout-line and cut away!
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


  10. #10
    Senior Member Pro Vagabond's Avatar
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    I use painters tape that I use to hold down the ends. My door isn't big enough to layout the entire fabric, so I have to keep moving it. The tape works well and I don't mind dropping it on my foot .

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