Your hammock template

[Maltey]

Just wondered what you all do to cut your hammocks- do you have a template? If you do what sort of template is it- paper,wood,cardboard maybe even plastic? Or do you just cut willy nilly knowing the ratties won't care anyway? 

[The Jenn]

I actually use a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and rulers. I quilt as well, so they serve double duty for me.

[Maltey]

Aaaah, you're one of those clever sausages that can make straight lines with a ruler! I cannot Well I can make straight lines, but not at 90 degree angles to each other!

[mutewolf]

I cut willy nilly. haha.

I don't have an actual sewing table at the moment. Hopefully I will in the future and can get some nice sewing scissors or something and I'll be less lazy. But, in the mean time, the rats and the ferrets don't care so oh well.

[*Kat*]

Aaaah, you're one of those clever sausages that can make straight lines with a ruler! I cannot Well I can make straight lines, but not at 90 degree angles to each other!

The mat makes it easier.   you line the ruler up and you cut alone it.   

[Maltey]

I have one! I went the whole hog and got 2 mats, a rotary and a nice lovely liney up ruler, but still....
A while back I was the only one in my maths class to get the question wrong about a ruler, I just can't use them!
I still find the mat useful for checking the lines I already drew around 

[cerulean.blue]

Maltey, you're not the only one that can't cut a straight line even with a ruler!  When I was making my own hammocks, mine always came out crooked. I even had my dad (who CAN draw and cut straight) make me templates out of cardboard, but I ended up somehow cutting the templates so they ended up crooked too! I guess I'm just hopeless. 

[Risika57]

i have templates made out of coroplast

[Violet976]

I have templates and can't imaging anything else. I get some of those large plastic posters from the dollar store & cut my templates out of those. I find the templates extremely handy for liners & hammocks with curves on them.

[Anjel]

I just bought my rotary/mat/ruler and can't believe I ever tried sewing without them! All my lines come out nice and straight and perfect. I do need to make some templates for the hammocks that have curves, though! (Especially for some new designs I have been testing for a couple weeks!)

[Canadian Comforts]

I also have templates for all my guinea pig stuff. I don't get a lot of rat orders so I just measure and go with those. I am hoping someone will get me a mat for christmas. I SO want one.

[Lynke]

I just sort of measure and cut XD I have a large sewing scissor so it usually works out fine. My hand sewing makes everything a little wonky though lol... Looking into getting a rotary, mat and sewing machine.

[Violet976]

Buy the rotary supplies when they are on a 50% off at Joanns (or wait & use a 50% off coupon when they aren't on sale). & get the biggest mat you have room for, you'll be sorry if you fork over that money only to want more space later. I find the 24"x36" mats to be the best, and if you are ready to upgrade down the line, you just buy more of them & place them side by side (I have 3 total: 2 connected together is now my standard setup, and I got some boards to extend the table surface to connect 3 for the c&c liners. I can't imagine anything else now.)

[Lynke]

May I ask what rotary set you guys are using? I've hand sewn my whole life so I don't know which mat/ rotary will be a good purchase ><

[Violet976]

I have fiskar rotary blades (though I'm told Olfa cuts better). & I have both Fiskar & Olfa mats. I *think* the Olfa mats are holding up better against getting grooves in the plastic, but I've only had them for a month or so compared to the years I've got on my Fiskar mat.

[K Rat1417]

I make templates out of tissue paper since I too am not the best at making straight lines (though I have improved a lot.  With time you do get better) heh heh actually I had my dad cut the templates since he can cut straight lines.

[Violet976]

the harder templates & rotary cutter & ruler make things really easy once you get the hang of it. & for the curves, I simply use the template to draw the curve on the wrong side of the fabric, then sew following those lines & then trim away.

[Lynke]

Thanks for the suggestion violet I'm really excited to start using some equipment to make sewing a little easier. Hands swings a real pain >< it can take me 3+ days to make my cage liners and hammocks sets.