the cutting pattern a cutting pattern 76 as partially shown in fig2 may be initially positioned on the table 11 to determine the spread length and determine an arrangement of pattern pieces 78 and then removed prior to the actual spreading operation before removal of the cutting pattern in accordance with an important aspect of the invention the pattern coordinating elements 69 ideally in the form of blocks of permanent magnetic material are positioned at advantageous points along the work area ideally the location of the elements 69 is determined by visual inspection of the pattern and the selection of points on the steel strip 71 from which imaginary lines 77 extending transversely across the pattern 76 intercept a maximum number of pattern pieces 78 ordinarily without missing a piece and without unnecessarily crossing any of the pieces with a plurality of lines the use of magnetic force is particularly suited for holding the elements 69 along the work area since it allows the elements to be readily repositioned substantially anywhere along the length of the table 11 when a different pattern is to be cut in operation the spreading machine 10 is manually driven over the table 11 alternately from one end of a work area to the other as the machine 10 reverses direction a fold is formed and a new layer is initiated the lead end and subsequent folds between each layer are clamped or otherwise held at their associated ends of the work area by conventional means not shown as the machine 10 moves the web 12 is drawn from the supply station 23 through the feeding path on the machine as one or the other switch 66 or 67 is tripped by one of the coordinating elements 69.