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Written by Suzy Thompson
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So, you have a big quilting project ahead of you. What tools are you going to purchase?
The items listed below will save you time, and make the work much more enjoyable:
Rotary Cutter
The rotary cutter is used to cut material, and resembles a common "pizza cutter." The device is drawn across fabric in order to slice it.
Extreme caution is advised - the circular blade is "razor sharp"!
Many types of cutters are available: The diameter of the cutting wheel varies, some types allow for both left and right handed use, while some types feature ergonomic designs.
I decided to purchase the following:
Model:
OLFA 60mm Rotary Cutter (Where 60mm refers to the diameter of the cutting wheel)
Price:
$27.99 (At the local craft store)
Features:
According to the manufacturer, one can easily and accurately cut up to six layers of fabric. Also, they say that it can be used with either the left or the right hand. Finally, they indicate that the unit is guaranteed for life:
if at any time you are dissatisfied with this fine Olfa product, we will replace the knife body at no cost with a new product of comparable value
Suzy’s Review:
The item certainly did work as advertised: The cuts were neat and smooth. Also, I was able to use it with either the left or right hand. A round plastic piece covers the sharp surface. That is, it prevents it from contacting anything. However, it was necessary to manually retract the guard with the thumb before cutting. In order to restore it to the "safe" setting, one had to manually slide the guard back in place with the thumb. Actually, it would have been nicer if the guard automatically slid back into place after use. As it is, the tool can be put back down on the table with the blade fully exposed. One might leave it and get on to something else, only to have the tool discovered by a small child! However, over all, I am quite pleased with this item. With proper care, it can allow precise cuts to be made, and save a considerable amount of time.
Quilter's Ruler
Such rulers are usually made of clear materials, and serve as guides for rotary cutting tools. In addition, they typically are etched with grid markings. These are used for measuring purposes. Finally, they help to hold fabric in place.
I chose to purchase the following:
Model:
Fiskars 6.5 inch by 24.5 inch Easy-to-read ruler
Price:
$16.99 (At the local craft store)
Suzy’s Review:
This was a handy device. It served as an excellent guide for the Rotary Cutter.
Cutting Mat
This is needed to protect the table surface from the Rotary cutter blade. A "self healing" mat is made of a material that "comes together" so as to cover up marks produced by the cutting tool above. In addition, it helps to reduce pitting and uneven wearing of the cutting blade. Such pits make it harder to draw the blade across fabric, and can also prevent all threads from being sliced. As a result, cuts are not as clean as they should be.
I decided to purchase the following cutting mat:
Model:
Olfa 24 inch by 18 inch Rotary Mat
Price:
$24.00 (At the local craft store)
Suzy’s Review:
This was really fantastic! After slices and passes of the sharp cutting wheel, the “self healing” mat showed little or no sign of wear. The table surface was totally protected and did not even receive a scratch.
General comments:
I was pleased with the items above. However, I noted that the cutter body was made of plastic. A framework made of a more durable material would have been better. However, I should not really have been that concerned about breakage: The item was guaranteed by the manufacturer for life. |
