CUTTING A PERFECT 18 INCH SQUARE (for DONNA!)

[@Fingerchisel]

Flipping Heck Jean. I have struggled for years, and you come up with such a simple method. Thank You.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Happy to help!

[@martinaryan5051]

Great tip Jean,I would never have cut it like that, I would have been faffing around cutting one side,then the other......Thank you and thanks to Donna for asking xxx

[@donnarichey144]

Thank you so much Jean. A big hug for you. You made it look so easy. making the gnome pillows you have to make it like the triangle you just showed and mine was like 2 inches off on the bottom. i got them done, but was not perfect. I gave as a christmas gift and my grandsons fiance loved them. If you have a fb I can put it in the private messages how they turned out. Thank you with all my heart Jean.

[@marybeth4002]

Ahhh, you know your grandson's fiance LOVES it.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Clever Donna:) A true gift of Love from the Heart!! And sure to be treasured! My FB is private, I don't know if you can private message me or not. But you can send a pic to: [e-mail]! I'd love to see!! Love you Donna:) Hugs:)

[@sullysmom5050]

Jean, thanks for taking the time to break it down in simple terms for Donna. That’s one of the reasons we ❤you.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Aw thanks so much:) I really appreciate that!!

[@dubravka..K]

Excellent tip! Thank you Jean❣️🇨🇦

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You are so welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful! 😊

[@margaretnewman4464]

Dear Jean, another great tip . I have never tried it this way, I usually do it laid out and cut off 2 sides. This makes more sense. Never too old to learn. Thanks Jean. Love to the Trueloves 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You are so welcome!

[@goldenfd475]

great tip Jean which will work with any size square.

[@edelweissquiltingembroider1761]

Thank you for a great tutorial!!

[@shellyculver4239]

PTL THAT DONNA ASKED!! I’ve needed this for so long 😅!!! I cannot cut straight or correct either! Now that I see this, I feel confident to cut bigger like 36” squares! I never knew to fold it over like you showed! Thank you thank you!!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You are so welcome!! Get out your rotary cutter and go for it Shelly!!

[@barbarameehan113]

Thank you Jean for your tutorials. I learn sew much from you. I love your hair, brown red or whatever. I recently had hair loss due to chemo. It is coming in pure white...I have colored my hair brown for years. I am getting ready to dye it brown again. Your videos have gotten me through tough times this past year...love seeing your family photos.❤

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Thanks Barbara! My hair, underneath all this cheapo box dye, is white too!! I keep on coloring it with whatever is on sale!! LOL! One day, I'll surprise everyone and come in PURE WHITE too!! LOL! Hope you are on the road to recovery Barbara, and the worst is behind you!! Careful hugs sent! :)

[@marybeth4002]

Donna, we all have our challenges in quilting, etc - sometimes it just takes someone who 'speaks our language' to explain it. When we reach out for help, chances are there are others who need help in the same department. Jean, your hair always looks beautiful ♥ Lately my hair is looking rather grey or white, I am hoping it has to do with my light bulbs. 🤣Love to you, Jean.

[@sullysmom5050]

You are so correct. It’s like kids at school. Some learn one way, others need more instruction. My now DIL told me, (when she was in high school ) that she couldn’t do division. She said her Dad had sat with her every evening trying to teach her. It just didn’t make sense to her. I sat with her for about 20 minutes and she caught on. I was working in elementary school at the time and really took it to the very basics. I told her that her brain just hadn’t been ready until that day. We made her a worksheet that she completed. I gave her an A+ 💯& a ⭐️sticker. She put it on the fridge and her Dad was so excited. She now works in accounting.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Thanks Marybeth:) Donna most certainly is 'not dumb', but just needed a fresh set of eyes on the task at hand :) My hair ***** its' completely white under all this box dye!!! Its' getting tougher and tougher to cover that pesky white!! LOL!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Accounting!!! Oh my!! I failed General Math One in 9th grade (the most basic of basic math course) but my Math Teacher was a good guy and passed me (just) anyway. To this day, I struggle with ANY kinds of math.......go figure....I'm a QUILTER!!!!! Math is ALWAYS involved! But if I get confused, I just ask Ian...he is a Math Whiz!!!

[@cherylporter1056]

Donna Jordan from Jordan fabrics uses a 5 lb dumbell to keep the ruler from slipping on long cuts

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

I have seen her doing that - great tip! thanks Cheryl:)

[@cherylporter1056]

@@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory you should watch all her videos. She's the best teacher ever. I'm an accomplished seamstress but I've learned so many useful tips like that. By the way, I just finished my bandana quilt thanks to you!

[@sherryfaires7931]

Great technique, Jean! Good luck, Donna!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Thanks for watching us:)

[@michellem8284]

Such a cool way to go about it! Thanks for this tip😊

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You are very welcome! Glad it was helpful! 😊

[@cindywest2689]

Thanks for helping Donna with this matter. By watching this I also learned a new way to square up a fat quarter today. Hope everyone is doing well!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You are so welcome! I'm glad it helped you too!

[@mariawells8026]

This was a good tip Jean. Thank you 😊

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Thanks Maria:)

[@lynetterene]

Thank you Jean...I was just making reading pillows for the young ones in my congregation and I had to cut a 19x19 square and I think the way I cut it, I probably wasted a lot of fabric.....I get easily confused with the width and length of things sometimes, so thanks for sharing and thanks for asking the question Donna

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Happy to provide a useful tip:)

[@genawalter401]

Jean, maybe you could do a series of short videos from questions people have submitted. This demo has seemed to help a lot of people. ❤

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You're right, it seems like people are really getting something out of this! Some more questions answered to come! :)

[@desleybartlett322]

Great hint Jean. We all struggle with something in our crafts. Mine is choosing colours🤪Desley 🇦🇺

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Get yourself a color wheel Desley:) It is an awesome tool:)

[@robinsquiltbasket]

Thanks for showing me a new way to make a square from a fat quarter.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

I'm glad you found this helpful!

[@julierusso219]

Thanks for the tip!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

You are welcome Julie:)

[@boonchilla]

Wow this is awesome! Can you do this method with any size square you need? If so, how cool!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Yes, I suppose so. If you have a cutting mat/surface large enough, it would work UP TO the width of any fabric you are cutting. Just be sure that the first edge is the proper size and then fold carefully so you get the true bias/diagonal.

[@debmetheral6596]

Awesome explanation thx.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Thank you:)

[@giselaa6111]

Love red it looks great 👍🏻I went grey and don’t like it so I will be going back to chestnut 🌰 ❤what a wonderful teacher you are ❤

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Thanks Gisela:) I am completely WHITE under the good old box dye!! I must admit it's getting harder and harder to cover the white...and every two weeks or so I have to color it. I'd love to just go natural but that is just one thing that Ian objects (maybe that is too harsh a word...), but he really likes my brown/red/nutmeg/chestnut/auburn/chocolate/dirt/ whatever color it is Hair, and wants me to keep coloring it!! LOL!

[@giselaa6111]

So after seeing your comment I will color my hair chestnut 🌰 thanks for guiding me ❤ happy new year 🎊

[@sharonframpton1887]

Thank you Jean! Donna if you're dumb, (believe me you are not) then so are a lot of us! I have trouble cutting a straight line. Funny, I can sew a straight line...not sure why that is. Any way just want you to know you're not alone and you are not dumb! I'm getting better...practice as they say.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

So not dumb!! As I said, we all need a fresh set of eyes at times!! LOL!

[@chloegrl1366]

Jean your awesome!!!

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Aw not really, but thanks for saying it:) LOL!

[@MommaBird52]

I definitely would iron first and also iron on the diagonal so it is flat. Then, using the 24 inch ruler, cut the excess. Some fat quarters are cut crooked so you may not be able to get 18 by 18. Be sure the points on sharp on the diagonal.

[@shirleydooley1919]

Personally, I would lay my ruler on the other side of the fabric why because lots of times I go to cut, and I veer away from the ruler and now I’ve lost my whole square because I chopped into it.

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Good tip Shirley:) Thank you:)

[@donnarichey144]

Well I have a long mat that is the biggest I bought and I have too many things on it so can't use the mat to measure. How would it be done with rulers only?

[@jeantruelovetruelovequiltsfory]

Perhaps if you have a table, use your long ruler at the fold and then MARK carefully, with chalk or something like that and THEN you could carefully and slowly use scissors to cut the square?

[@karenwerts2331]