Short Follow up to last blog: Rotary Cutter and Cutting Base Rotary Mats. Do I need one?

Short Follow up to last blog: Rotary Cutter and Cutting Base Rotary Mats. Do I need one?

I received many messages after publishing my last blog post: Rotary Cutter and Cutting Base Rotary Mats. Do I need one?  The gist asking me to give the rotary cutter another go.  So I did.   I thought about it for a bit first then decided to compare the cutting task I use most, namely preparing solid colour fabric for using with hexagon paper templates.  

1) The traditional method using scissors: 

Work on ironing board.  Place a paper template on fabric.  Check for more than 5mm seam, snip then rip the fabric into a strip.  Iron fabric then concertina over.  Place template to check for seam allowance then cut using scissors.  Trim any frayed edges if you like a neat look.  Time it takes to make 12  fabric pieces. Took me 2 mins and 20 seconds.

 2) Using a rotary cutter, metal ruler, and cutting mat.  

Iron fabric then fold over four times, place ruler onto guide line. Trim edge of fabric with rotary cutter.  Place template onto fabric, check for 5mm or more seam allowance then using mat guidelines cut using rotary cutter.  Rotate fabric and cut into 12 fabric pieces.  Took me 3 mins and  40 seconds.  

 

Pictures show same result.  The extra time it took using the rotary cutter was mainly taken up in ironing more fabric than I needed.  I realise I have the rotary cutter the wrong way around in the above image, was taking a photo at the time! 

The rotary cutter is useful and has advantages for many patchwork and quilting tasks.  So I guess its all down to personal preference.  For me using scissors and the sound of ripping fabric is a joy.  

Rotary Cutter and Cutting Base Rotary Mats. Do I need one?

Rotary Cutter and Cutting Base Mat.  Do I need to one?

This blog maybe a little controversial.  It is prompted by an email received from one of my customers this week.   In brief she was having difficulty using these tools to cut fabric.   The question was long winded and I spent some time drafting a reply.   Time took over and I decided to respond the following day.   Re-reading my draft in a different light after sleeping on her words, I realised my answer should be much simpler.  In short .... Dear Mrs T,   Do you really need to use a rotary cutter and mat for cutting fabric?

I came to this conclusion after thinking about my own experience with a rotary cutter and mat.   My first encounter with these tools occurred in 1990.   I was given a set by a lady whom I had been giving classes to in London.   A very generous gift at the time and I could not wait to try this new technology.  At the time  I had 20 sewing years behind me so using new tools was going to be revealing and possibly challenging.  I tried.  I tried many many times.  In short the rotary cutter scared me.  The exposed blade, just one slip of a finger, just seconds away from a wound.

Far easier to rip a strip of fabric and trim the edges with trusty safe scissors.   Twenty four years later and the rotary cutter remains in my drawer, through fault of my own, abeit a bit rusty.  The blade is still sharp.  I am sure one day I will return to it and with the aid of you tube video clips learn to use it properly, perhaps concluding "how did I manage without it".......  

The mat has been great, how did I manage pre-1990?     I currently have several laying around my studio.  Finding it hard to throw the original one out as it still has plenty of life in it yet.  Having a mat with inch grid and diagonal lines has been incredibly useful for all sorts of projects, mostly cutting stencils or paper using a basic craft knife.  The mat and cutter shown below are my gift from 1990.  Its true to say that the sewing technology of 1989 has survived.