Making a pillow case is a good project for those new to sewing. Last time, we looked at how to measure the fabric and mark it. Let's move on to the next step: cutting.
Be sure you're using good sharp sewing shears that correspond to your right- or left-handedness. (Rotary cutters are also available, and are a wonderful tool, but are not recommended for beginning sewers. Acquire at least a bit of experience before you try using one.) Until you're more practiced with using the shears, cut with fairly short strokes. As you gain confidence, use a longer stroke, aiming to cut with the full length of the blade. With your other hand, hold the fabric against the table close to where you are cutting. Resist the urge to cut the material while you're holding it up in the air, and don't try to save time by cutting several layers at once. And most important, remember the basic rule for all sewing projects: measure twice, cut once. (Personally, I measure about five times!)
If at any time in the process you're feeling uncertain, or think the fabric doesn't look right, or you're not sure the scissors are properly aligned, simply stop and gather your thoughts. Blithely hacking at the material is unlikely to obtain the results you want. On the other hand, don't be too timid about the process either. When I started sewing, I was so afraid to actually cut the fabric (thereby, perhaps, ruining it) that I put it off for ages, and by the time I started, I felt quite fatalistic, and gave in to the inevitability of it all: if my scissors were going in the wrong direction, I just let it happen. Now, in an attempt to find balance (in sewing, if in no other realm of life!) I try to be careful, yet decisive, and cut my fabric once I am reasonably sure I'm doing it correctly. Sewing should be fun, as well as useful, and there's no point in pursuing it if it's endlessly nerve-wracking. This is a good reason to buy inexpensive fabric or reuse old sheets: you can practice without worrying excessively about the cost.
Next week, we'll move on and finally put this pillow case together. See you then!
