Patent Grant
9962845
The present invention relates generally to the field of quilting, and more specifically to paper piecing—specifically a system and method incorporating a tapered cutter guide for establishing fabric pieces properly sized to a paper piece template with a sewing expanse of consistent width around each fabric piece.
Quilting requires precision sewing to fit all the various pieces of a pattern together. Each quilting piece must be provided with a sewing expanse on each edge of the quilting piece to allow for sewing the quilting pieces together to form a quilt. Conventionally, seamstresses mark on the fabric a cutting line that is separated from the sewing line of the quilting piece by about ¼ inch. The fabric is then cut along the cutting line and the cut out piece now has the quilting piece surrounded by a sewing expanse to allow for sewing the quilting pieces together.
Mechanical means for marking a line spaced apart a fixed distance from a master pattern is known. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,215,499 to Glick. A device for sewing a hem on a window shade a fixed distance from an edge is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,466 to McAllister. Neither of these devices, however, could be used to cut a quilting piece so that the quilting piece has a sewing expanse for sewing the quilt pieces together.
Various options have been known and developed for enabling a person to take a pattern and develop a quilt. While in perhaps the most simple form, various extra pieces of cloth are simply stitched together; it is often desired by the quilter to develop a specific design, such as a picture or pattern. It is not uncommon for such pictures or patterns to be complex, and indeed if each piece of the quilt is not properly sized and aligned the end product may be less than desired.
For some patterns, the pattern template is placed upon a piece of desired fabric and a cutter guide is then used to cut out the appropriate quilt piece. In some cases, a cutter guide may be used that has an additional margin incorporated so as to provide a proper sewing expanse for the quilt piece. U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,670 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,086 are cutter guides developed by the present applicant and which incorporate this additional margin so a to simplify the task of accounting for the sewing expanse when cutting out quilting pieces.
Paper piecing, also referred to as foundation piecing, is a variant of the quilting process and is growing in popularity. Using a paper pattern and stitching directly through the paper may simplify a very detailed quilting project. Although foundation piecing has been known for a long time, the evolution to paper piecing as a specific type of foundation piecing has rapidly grown in popularity recently.
Indeed paper piecing can be a very effective technique for handling odd angles and very small pieces of fabric that do not lend themselves well to traditional template piecing. With paper piecing, it is a common task to fold the pattern back upon itself along a seam line. This folding helps to establish straight, crisp lines that facilitate straight line sewing. Folding of the pattern is not an element of traditional template piecing, as the template is not sewn to the fabric.
Moreover, paper piecing is a great quilting option for beginners as well as for experienced quilters. One can make a wonderful quilt on their very first try since complicated patters are broken down into easily managed steps. Sewing the fabric to the paper makes matching points relatively easy and the paper stabilizes the fabric, enabling one to use even the smallest of fabric scraps.
Typically, in paper piecing, which is also known in the art as foundation piecing, the pattern of the intended quilt consists of a plurality of geometric shapes, each having straight edges. An oversized fabric piece is disposed under an intended shape such that the fabric extends beyond the edges of the shape. The paper pattern is folded back upon itself along each line of the shape in turn. This element of folding makes traditional template piecing guides of little use with respect to the folding process.
Moreover, a thin card is placed along a selected line and the paper template is folded back over the card—the edge of the card providing an abutment to ensure a straight and crisp crease directly upon the line. With the pattern now folded, the excess fabric material exposed by the fold may be trimmed to the proper width. This process is performed for each line of each piece.
Of course this requires a collection of tools—a card for the folding and a gage for establishing the sewing margin and a trimmer, at the very least. Keeping track of tools can be a challenge if the quilting project involves large amounts of fabric which may inadvertently cover a tool, or if the quilting project is being worked on in an environment where extra space is limited.
Hence there is a need for a method and system that is capable of overcoming one or more of the above identified challenges.
Our invention solves the problems of the prior art by providing novel systems and methods for a singular device that advantageously provides both a tapered cutter guide for establishing a proper and consistent sewing expanse around a quilting piece and a sharp, tapered edge for assisting in folding a paper template that is common in paper piece quilting.
In particular and by way of example only, according to one embodiment of the present invention, provided is a tapered cutter guide for use in cutting quilting pieces and paper piecing, including: a generally rectangular body having a long first edge and opposite thereto a long second edge; a depending rail positioned along the first edge of the tapered cutter guide, the rail having an inner guide edge and an outer cutting edge with the inner guide edge and the outer cutting edge being spaced apart in parallel relation by a width selected to correspond to a desired sewing expanse; a tapered section along the second edge to provide a sharp edge of the tapered cutter guide opposite from the first edge, the tapered section rising at an acute angle from the sharp edge towards the inner guide edge; and a flat top section between the first and second edge, and a flat inner section parallel to the top section adjoining the inner edge to the tapering section.
In yet another embodiment, provided is a system for cutting fabric quilting pieces having an exposed area with a tapered cutter guide, the system including a quilt pattern providing a plurality of geometric shapes, each shape having straight sides and each shape representing a quilting piece; a tapered cutter guide having: a depending rail positioned along a first edge of the tapered cutter guide, the rail having an inner guide edge and an outer cutting edge with the inner guide edge and the outer cutting edge being spaced apart in parallel relation by a width selected to correspond to a desired sewing expanse; a tapered section along a second sharp edge of the tapered cutter guide opposite from the first edge, the tapering section rising at an angle from the sharp edge towards the inner guide edge; and a flat top section between the first and second edge, and a flat inner section parallel to the top section adjoining the inner edge to the tapering section; and a cutter for cutting the fabric; wherein the flat top section of the tapered cutter guide is disposed upon the pattern with the sharp edge disposed along the straight edge of a selected shape, the pattern folded about the sharp edge to impart a crease along the selected line of the pattern; wherein the tapered cutter guide is removed and the inner guide edge of the tapered cutter guide is positioned on, and in stationary relation to, the crease of the pattern; and wherein the cutter is moved along and is guided by the outer cutting edge of the rail to cut the fabric into a quilting piece expanded in size by the desired sewing expanse.
And for yet another embodiment, provided is a method for cutting fabric quilting pieces having an exposed area with a tapered cutter guide, including: disposing a quilt pattern providing a plurality of geometric shapes upon a piece of fabric, each shape having straight sides and each shape representing a quilting piece; the disposed pattern aligning a selected geometric shape to the piece of fabric; providing a cutter for cutting the fabric; providing a tapered cutter guide having: a depending rail positioned along a first edge of the tapered cutter guide, the rail having an inner guide edge and an outer cutting edge with the inner guide edge and the outer cutting edge being spaced apart in parallel relation by a width selected to correspond to a desired sewing expanse; a tapered section along a second sharp edge of the tapered cutter guide opposite from the first edge, the tapering section rising at an angle from the sharp edge towards the inner guide edge; and a flat top section between the first and second edge, and a flat inner section parallel to the top section adjoining the inner edge to the tapering section; wherein the flat top section of the tapered cutter guide is disposed upon the pattern with the sharp edge disposed along a selected line of the selected shape, the pattern folded about the sharp edge to impart a crease along the selected line of the pattern; wherein the tapered cutter guide is removed and the inner guide edge of the tapered cutter guide is positioned on and in stationary relation to the crease of the pattern; and wherein the cutter is moved along and is guided by the outer cutting edge of the rail to cut the fabric into a quilting piece expanded in size by the desired sewing expanse.
Before proceeding with the detailed description, it is to be appreciated that the present teaching is by way of example only, not by limitation. The concepts herein are not limited to use or application with a specific system or method for a tapered cutter guide system for cutting quilting pieces and paper piecing, also known as foundation piecing. Thus although the instrumentalities described herein are for the convenience of explanation shown and described with respect to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood and appreciated that the principles herein may be applied equally in other types of systems and methods involving a tapered cutter guide system for cutting quilting pieces and paper piecing.
Turning to
To facilitate the description of systems and methods for this tapered cutter guide 100, the orientation of tapered cutter guide 100 as presented in the figures are referenced to the coordinate system with three axes orthogonal to one another as shown in
The tapered cutter guide 100 is similar to those previously developed by applicant and now known as U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,670 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,086, each incorporated herein by reference. However the tapered cutter guide 100 of the present invention has a specifically tapered edge 102 not present in either the '670 or '086 patents—each of which has a thick blunt edge opposite from the cutter guide, the thick blunt edge being unsuitable for establishing a proper paper fold.
More specifically, as shown the tapered cutter guide 100 is generally a straight edge. More specifically, for at least one embodiment, the tapered cutter guide 100 has a generally rectangular body 110 having a long first edge 112 and opposite thereto a long second edge 114. A depending rail 108 is positioned along the first edge 112. A tapered edge 102 is provided by a tapered section 116 along the second edge 114, the tapered section 116 rising at an acute angle from a sharp edge 118 towards the depending rail 108. Of course other shapes of cutter guides could be used just as effectively for applications where a curve in the eventual quilt is desired.
These advantages are more fully appreciated with respect to
Opposite from this rail is the tapered section 116 of the tapered cutter guide 100. More specifically, as the rail is along a first edge, i.e. the outer cutting edge 302, of the tapered cutter guide 100, a tapered section 116 is provided along the second edge 114, e.g. sharp edge 118 opposite from the outer cutting edge 302.
As is perhaps best perceived in
As shown in
Further, the second edge 114, e.g. sharp edge 118 provides a specific and advantageous structure about which the paper template 104 may be folded, which far exceeds the block end of a conventional quilting guide. When used as a cutter guide, this flat inner section 304 ensures that the tapered cutter guide 100 is well seated and aligned to the template 104 thus permitting the user to cut the fabric 106 simply and efficiently.
Moreover, for at least one embodiment, the tapered cutter guide 100 may be summarized as a generally rectangular body 110 having a long first edge 112 and opposite thereto a long second edge 114; a depending rail 108 is positioned along the first edge 112 of the cutter guide 100, the depending rail 108 having an inner guide edge 300 and an outer cutting edge 302 with the inner guide edge 300 and the outer cutting edge 302 being spaced apart in parallel relation by a width A 400 selected to correspond to a desired sewing expanse; a tapered section 116 along the second edge 114 to provide a sharp edge 118 of the cutter guide 100 opposite from the first edge 112, the tapering section 116 rising at an angle from the second edge 114, e.g. sharp edge 118 towards the inner guide edge 300; and a flat top section 306 between the first edge 112 and second edge 114, and a flat inner section 304 parallel to the top section 306 adjoining the inner edge 300 to the tapered section 116.
For at least one embodiment the tapered cutter guide 100 is made of a substantially transparent material such that the seamstress can observe the paper template 104 directly through the material of the tapered cutter guide 100. For other embodiments, the substantially transparent material may be colored, such that the tapered cutter guide 100 can be easily seen, yet still seen through. Further, the tapered cutter guide 100 may also be marked with standard measurement units (not shown).
For yet another embodiment, a portion of the tapered cutter guide 100 may include at least one magnification lens 308. This lens may be formed as a portion of the top surface 306, the inner flat surface 304, or otherwise established within the body 110 of the tapered cutter guide 100. Further still, the top section adjacent to the rail section may be rendered slightly opaque so as to make the rail section more visually apparent.
Yet further embodiments may provide a texture 110 to the top surface 306 and or the inner flat section 304, and or the depending rail 108 to assist with it being placed by hand, and or to provide an improved friction hold upon the paper and or fabric 106 during the quilting process. The tapered cutter guide 100 may further provide a hole for easy storage by hanging.
Moreover the tapered cutter guide 100 provides at least two advantageous elements in a single tool, thus eliminating at least one additional element as is typically required in paper piecing a quilting. Specifically the tapered cutter guide 100 provides both a cutter guide, i.e. the outer edge 302, and a sharp edge 118 against which the paper template 104 is folded. These elements may be more fully appreciated with respect to the
For the present example Shape S 502 is the intended quilt element to be established. As shown by the arrows 504, the fabric 106 is to be disposed under the paper template 104, and in general alignment to Shape S 502. Removable tape or pins may be used to further secure the fabric 106 piece to the paper template 104 until such time as sewing commences.
In
As shown in
The portion 900 of the paper template 104 to the right of the tapered cutter guide 100, i.e., to the right of the first line, is now folded over the sharp edge 118 and tapered portion 116 of the tapered cutter guide 100 as shown in
This creased fold 1100 is greatly facilitated by the sharp edge 118 and tapered portion 116 of tapered cutter guide 100. Absent this sharp edge 118 and tapered portion 116, the paper would be folded up and around the guide—resulting in a distortion of the fold and near certain misalignment of the paper template 104 as folded. In the alternative, the cutter guide would need to be removed and a separate and distinct additional guide, such as a thin card would need to be disposed along the first line 602 shown in
In
In
In other words the tapered cutter guide 100 is slid out from the under the folded paper and rotated about it's longitudinal axis in a smooth motion to be ready for placement of the inner edge 300 of the rail against the folded crease of the paper. This simplicity of motion would not be achieved if the tapered section were disposed to adjoin the top section—a position that would require both rotation and flipping of the tapered cutter guide 100.
It is of course understood and appreciated that the figures as shown have been rendered for ease of discussion and illustration. Moreover, the paper when folded may be thin and thus the tapered cutter guide 100 may be slightly angled down and the outer cutting edge 302 in less than perpendicular alignment, which is fine. The folded paper is sufficient to catch the inner edge 300 and provide a stationary alignment of the tapered cutter guide 100.
As shown in
This process is then repeated for the other line elements of Shape S 502, such that after successive folds and cuts, the fabric 106 remaining is properly sized with a sewing expanse to Shape S 502.
Since quilting is a repetitive process, this same method and system are repeatedly applied to each of the other shapes as provided by the paper template 104, and indeed multiple paper templates 104 may be combined.
Moreover, with an embodiment of the present invention, a seamstress may quickly and easily prepare appropriately sized fabric 106 pieces for a paper piecing quilting project without having to measure and establish an offset from each line in the pattern to establish the proper sewing expanse, and as the same tool, specifically the tapered cutter guide 100, is used to establish the alignment crease and then the offset for the sewing expanse, the seamstress is not required to be continuously switching tools and tracking their whereabouts.
In light of the above discussion, for at least one embodiment a system for paper piecing incorporating a tapered cutter guide 100 may be summarized as including a quilt pattern 104 providing a plurality of geometric shapes 500, each shape 500 having straight sides and each shape 500 representing a quilting piece. The system further includes a tapered cutter guide 100 having: a depending rail 108 that is positioned along the first edge 112 of the cutter guide 100, the depending rail 108 having an inner guide edge 300 and an outer cutting edge 302 with the inner guide edge 300 and the outer cutting edge 302 being spaced apart in parallel relation by a width A 400 selected to correspond to a desired sewing expanse.
Tapered cutter guide 100 has a tapered section 116 along the second edge 114 to provide a sharp edge 118 of the cutter guide 100 opposite from the first edge 112, the tapering section 116 rising at an angle from the second edge 114, e.g. sharp edge 118 towards the inner guide edge 300; and a flat top section 306 between the first edge 112 and second edge 114, and a flat inner section 304 parallel to the top section 306 adjoining the inner edge 300 to the tapered section 116.
The system further includes a 1400 for cutting the fabric 106; wherein the flat top section 306 of the tapered cutter guide 100 is disposed upon the pattern 104 with the sharp edge 118 disposed along the straight edge of a selected shape, the pattern 104 folded about the sharp edge 118 to impart a crease 1100 along selected line of the selected shape; wherein the tapered cutter guide 100 is removed and the inner guide edge 300 of the tapered cutter guide 100 is positioned on, and in stationary relation to, the crease 1100 of the pattern 104; and wherein the cutter 1400 is moved along and is guided by the outer cutting edge 302 of the rail 108 to cut the fabric 106 into a quilting piece expanded in size by the desired sewing expanse.
In addition to a system for paper piecing incorporating the tapered cutter guide, the above description may also be summarized to set forth at least one method for quilting via paper piecing incorporating a tapered cutter guide 100. It will be appreciated that the method as presented above, and summarized below, need not be performed in the order in which it is herein described, but that this description is merely exemplary of one embodiment for one method for cutting fabric quilting pieces having an exposed area with a tapered cutter guide 100.
In general, the method will commence by disposing a quilt pattern 104 providing a plurality of geometric shapes 500 upon a piece of fabric 106, each shape 500 having straight sides and each shape 500 representing a quilting piece, the disposed pattern 104 aligning a selected geometric shape 502 to the piece of fabric 106. The method further includes providing a cutter 1400 for cutting the fabric 106.
In addition, and advantageously simplifying the process and number of tools required for paper piecing, the method also provides a tapered cutter guide 100 having: a depending rail 108 is positioned along the first edge 112 of the cutter guide 100, the depending rail 108 having an inner guide edge 300 and an outer cutting edge 302 with the inner guide edge 300 and the outer cutting edge 302 being spaced apart in parallel relation by a width A 400 selected to correspond to a desired sewing expanse.
Tapered cutter guide 100 has a tapered section 116 along the second edge 114 to provide a sharp edge 118 of the cutter guide 100 opposite from the first edge 112, the tapering section 116 rising at an angle from the second edge 114, e.g. sharp edge 118 towards the inner guide edge 300; and a flat top section 306 between the first edge 112 and second edge 114, and a flat inner section 304 parallel to the top section 306 adjoining the inner edge 300 to the tapered section 116.
The method proceeds by disposing the top flat section 304 of the tapered cutter guide 100 upon the pattern 104 with second edge 114, e.g. sharp edge 118 disposed along a selected line 602 of the selected shape 502, the pattern folded about the sharp edge to impart a crease along the selected line of the pattern. Following the fold and creasing, the tapered cutter guide 100 is removed and the inner guide edge 300 of the tapered cutter guide 100 is positioned on and in stationary relation to the creased fold 1100 of the pattern 104. Now, the cutter 1400 is moved along and is guided by the outer cutting edge 302 of the rail to cut the fabric into a quilting piece expanded in size by the desired sewing expanse.
Changes may be made in the above methods, systems and structures without departing from the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description and/or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Indeed many other embodiments are feasible and possible, as will be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art. The claims that follow are not limited by or to the embodiments discussed herein, but are limited solely by their terms and the Doctrine of Equivalents.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/139,553 filed Mar. 27, 2015 and entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TAPERED CUTTER GUIDE FOR CUTTING QUILTING PIECES AND PAPER PIECING, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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