Where do you cut? Right of line, on the line, left of line?

Something that puzzled me when using a rotary cutter and ruler. Do you cut in the center of that line? Do you cut on the right side of that line? Do you cut on the left side of that line? Where do you cut for a accurate measurement? Even that little hair or thread of width accumulates when making a quilt, and potentially can cause a great problem. 

How do you know where exactly the 4" line is????  If they say it makes a difference with a "Slight" 1/4" seam allowance, because it adds up.. wouldn't it add up and cause your blocks to be off if that little bit of space the width of the line is left?   The answer is YES it makes a difference...

So where do we cut?   For a 4” wide strip to be cut, on my cutting matt I line up my WOF [Width of Fabric] against the left side of the “0” line. Then I move my ruler over 4”, lining up my ruler with the 4” line. And prepare to cut.

And then comes the answer for where do you cut..

From the left side of the "0" line to the LEFT side of the 4" line is 4 inches. [measure with your measuring tape to see…lol ]

SO the 4" line is included in the width you need to make it 4". If you cut it on the right side of the 4" line then it will be a hair narrower than a true 4 inches. 

OR in short version:

Left side of line on right and Left side of line on left..

OR Right side of line on right and Right side of line on left

..... BUT Whichever way you decide to cut it, right of line or left of line, make sure to have edge of fabric and the side of the line your cutting on, on the same side... Ok?

Happy Sewing!!

Becky