ready? set. go! week one.

ok, ya'll.

are you ready to get this party started?
First I want you lay your fabric out all pretty like, then take a photo of it...then put a link in the comments on this post.
I want to see whatcha workin' with.
I'm going to do my best to explain each step just as simply as I can and still be clear.
If you find that I am not so clear...then you can leave your questions in the comments and I will answer them there.
OR you can pop on over to Old Red Barn Co and see how they did the quilt-along.

Now you want to start with nice smooth fabric. If it is ridiculously bumpy and crinkled up then you will probably have to iron it.
I didn't iron at all for this part...I just make sure everything is smoothed out and there are no folds in the fabric.

Ok...holding your fabric lengthwise...you will want to line up the two selvage edges....like when you make a card and you fold the paper in half...you line up the two sides nice and straight.
Smooth it out making sure there are no folds or bumps and keep the edges even with each other.
You will have the two selvage edges and the fold.
Next, you will want to line up the fold with the selvage edges by folding it in half again.
So you are basically folding the half yard in half once and then again...lining up only the selvage edges and the fold...we will take care of the messy edges in a minute.

See? Nice and neat.
Now turn your fabric so that your nice neat selvage edges can be lined up along one of the lines on your cutting mat...it doesn't matter which just so that it is lined up nice and vertical to the vertical lines on your mat---you can click on the photo to make it bigger.
Then pick a line on your cutting guide and line that up with your selvage edges too.
Make yours look like mine above...you are basically trying to clean up the cut of the fabric and make right angles and straight lines.
Make sense?

Then, with your cutting guide as close to the edge as you can get while still cutting all of the folds of the fabric you make your nice straight cut with your rotary cutter.

No more messy edge.

Rotate it again and line it up like the above...see how nice and crisp that corner is?
This is the hardest part, I promise...unless you hate to iron like me, then this is the second hardest part. :)
Now...keeping your fabric nice and lined up like the above, use your cutting guide to mark off two and a half inches in from the side...line up the guide at the top and the bottom of your cutting mat to be sure you are cutting straight.
Then take a deep breath and using your rotary cutter...CUT!

Do that again every 2 1/2 inches.
You will get 6-7 loooong strips like this depending on the cut of your fabric.
Repeat this process with all of your yardage.

How was that?
Please tell me how I can make this better if it is too confusing
or if you don't get what I am saying or if you need more photos.
I hope I didn't make it seem harder than it is...you are just cutting long straight cuts of fabric that are 2 1/2in wide.

Leave any questions in the comments and don't forget to show us your fabrics!

xo