John & Marie • Apr 02, 2022

For the Love of Rotary Cutters

With enthusiasm and gusto you have begun your patchwork journey and are becoming bamboozled with all of the available gadgets and gizmos. The great thing about this craft is that you can add to your supplies as and when needed. S-E-W one of the very first tools to consider is the rotary cutter.

Those involved with patchwork love their rotary cutter and here are some reasons why:

1. More accuracy than cutting with scissors

Scissors have to slide one blade underneath the fabric causing what you are cutting to be lifted away from your cutting mat. This action increases the chance of a sidewards slant to your cut edges.

The rotary cutter, on the other hand, cuts through fabric from the top down thus removing the action needed with scissors and the fabric will be less likely to slide. This makes it easier to get that clean, accurate cut necessary for precise points on your triangles.

2. Easily cut through more layers as once

When using a patchwork outer border, like with our Beginner Quilt by Sarah Ashford, the rotary cutter can cut out a number of the same sized shapes all in one go.

3. Easier to get close to the cutting line

The rotary cutter works the same way as a pizza cutter. You push down on it as close to the cut line as you need to be and watch it glide through the fabric. How’s that for a transferable skill and help with normalising patchwork as an everyday activity.

4. Clean round curves

To get clean curves with scissors, you're back to the fiddly fumbles, where fingers, thumbs and scissor handles all seem to get in the way. Rotary cutters simply roll around any shape you want to cut out, easily and without hassle.

S-E-W for more tips on how to choose the right cutter for the job, use a cutter safely, and beginner and advanced techniques you can accomplish with any rotary cutter grab a copy of Sarah Ashford’s “Rotary Cutting Basics”. https://sarahashfordstudio.com/collections/books

All in all, rotary cutters are easy to use, incredibly accurate and super speedy. It's no wonder so many of us involved with patchwork wouldn't be without one.

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By John & Marie • 14 Apr, 2023

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By John & Marie • 29 Sep, 2021

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