Cutting edges
The Sakiori (rag) cutter has just arrived and I’m madly stripping all my ‘fabrics to be stripped’ stash. When I first saw the video on how to use it I was wondering if it would be awkward or difficult to manipulate but it really does the work, quickly and with only a light touch. I’ve found some very nice silk scarves in op shops which are magic in the cutter and perfect for weaving.
You just cut a 9 cm wide strip of fabric, any length, then attach the strip to the cutter as instructed. The blade is pressed down on top of the end of the fabric, cutting it into 5mm wide strips. Then the fabric is dragged through the box cutters. Great time saver and easier on the hands than other methods like the ‘Swiss roll’ technique. See this video on how to use the cutter.
This is a great tool. I have just woven 4 table runners with cotton strips 4mm wide on a cotton warp. Wash and dry the cotton in a dryer before cutting as there is usually quite a lot of filling in cotton during manufacture. The runners are 1m x 35cm finished, soft and the fabric most suitable for jackets, vests etc. I am looking forward to using silk now from old kimono’s I purchased in Japan.
THanks Nola. I’ve also found that it is the only sure way to get such narrow widths as they can’t be torn when finer.