The rotary cutter may be easier on your wrist as you roll the blade instead of using your wrist and fingers to maneuver the blade. How long has it been since you treated yourself to a new rotary cutter … plastic foam in a snap-lid plastic food container. And we had been sewing, quilting, and cutting fabric long before a rotary cutter came along. Turn the strip around and cut segments from its left edge in the same way you cut the original fabric strips, aligning the strip with markings on the ruler as required for each shape. Top 5 Ways to Use a Rotary Cutter 1. If you are cutting folded over pattern pieces with fabric scissors, you may find that the two layers of fabric shift around over each other. Then poke holes in the plastic foam with an awl to hold shafted bits, and slice crevices with a utility knife to hold cutoff discs. Correct the problem, and move on. How do you use the rotary cutter? Rotary cutters cut a lot faster than scissors! You do not want the fabric layers to shift. However, it's fine to work with shorter strips until you are comfortable with long ones, and strips of fabric cut along the fabric's less stretchy lengthwise grain work nicely, too. Place your hand firmly in the vertical center of the long ruler to hold it in place and roll a rotary cutter from bottom to top along the ruler's right edge. How to cut a straight line on fabric using the right tools. If it isn't, press out the bold fold and refold it with selvages matched and parallel. Since I often worked with knits, transferring this technique into cutting the ribbing for neck and waist bands was a natural jump. A rotary cutter, sometimes called a rotary fabric cutter, or fabric cutter roller is essentially a spring loaded circular razor blade that is attached to a handle (it looks a bit like a pizza cutter) that can be used to cut fabric or paper for sewing, quilting, and paper crafts. Janet is the author of the Rodale book "Classic American Quilt Collection: Stars" and has contributed to dozens of other books and patterns as both a writer and editor. Make sure to hover over the cutter as it moves to catch any missteps. Video Demo of a … The square ruler's left edge should be near, but inside the left edge of the fabric, roughly where you will make your square cut. Use even pressure the entire way through each cut; this ensures that all materials will receive an even cut. The Spruce Crafts uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Fiskars Craft 60mm Rotary Cutter – Ideal for Thicker Materials. This is used to cut lengths of fabric (normally in conjunction with this Acrylic Ruler and Self-healing mat). If you are still new to working with fabric, you may want to make sure you understand some basic terms and techniques.Â. Slide the Omnigrid to the edge of the fabric until you reach your desired width. The first cutters had a straight handle and a 28 mm blade. If the piece has a bend in the middle, the fabric's left edge is no longer square. The instructions are written for working right-handed. For example, use the 3 inch mark on the ruler to make a 3 inch wide strip. A tractor mounted rotary cutter is different than a grooming mower. Use a ruler to produce the straightest lines possible. A rotary cutter allows me to simply lay out my pattern, put down some pattern weights, then cut cut cut! I broke my wrist earlier this year it was very hard for me to cut 2 layers of fabric because of having to use pressure on the cutter. The bolt fold should be straight, with no pull lines. Lay the Omnigrid ruler horizontally on top of the fabric. How to Use a Rotary Cutter: This video provides a basic introduction to using a rotary cutter to cut perfect fabric strips for quilting (or other projects).Let me apologize in advance for my video technique-- it was a one take deal and I think you'll get the idea.If you have a… Use tissue or a dry cloth to remove fibers or lint off the blade. Extend the blade on your rotary cutter and place it right next to the ruler. If at all possible, beginning quilters should stick to one fold; each new fold makes inaccurate cuts more likely. After squaring up, the leading edge should be at a 90-degree angle to the fold. Align the correct line on your ruler with the angled edge of the fabric and the 45-degree line with the fold. Long (stretchy) bias strips are sometimes used to make quilt binding and for applique shapes that bend easily into graceful curves, such as flower stems. The hand holding the ruler should be … To be honest, it is a matter of preference. She has published over 350+ articles for The Spruce Crafts. Always roll the rotary cutter away from your body and follow any safety guidelines that came with your cutter. Do not depend on the rotary cutting rulers for accurate measurements. SEWING. Afterward, they flip the fabric around and cut from the left. Step 1 – Take your fabric piece and lay it on your cutting mat, so the raw edge is on the right side. Always rotary cut fabric using a rotary mat to protect your work surface. Old Rotary Cutter Blade. This one was submitted via my question form and asked, “How do you cut straight?” So I’m going to share how to use a rotary cutter today, which, when combined with a ruler and a mat, can get you perfectly straight cuts. OLFA’s rotary cutters are used around the world today. The fabric's cut edge should now be at a 90-degree angle to the folded edge. Do this slowly at first, or you'll risk cutting your pattern. This ease-of-use is the reason that rotary cutters have won the admiration of quilters. Align the mark on the long ruler that corresponds to your desired strip width to the left edge of the fabric. The instructions for most quick-pieced quilt patterns tell you to rotary cut long strips of fabric from selvage to selvage, across the fabric's crosswise grain, and that's what we'll cover in this tutorial. Cutting is my least favorite step in sewing, so anything that makes it easier is a plus. Cut along the right edge of the ruler to square up the end of the strip. This can cause premature wear, poor quality of cut, and an excessive power requirement. If you are working on a small rotary cutting mat, you may need to fold the fabric lengthwise again, making it four layers deep. How to Use a Rotary Cutter on Fleece After you choose the right size of blade, and you can go up to 60 mm if the fleece is really thick, you are … So many people shy away from working with knits because they are stretchy and tend to be more slippery. A rotary cutter is basically a circular blade that “rotates” as it cuts! This shifting can mak… Square up as many times as necessary to keep strips accurate. When cutting fabric using a rotary cutter, lay the fabric on a cutting pad to avoid damaging the surface. You can find the kit here. Individual patchwork shapes can be sub-cut, understand some basic terms and techniques. A rotary cutter is used in making a long straight or curved cut into material. Lay the fabric out on a smooth cutting surface. Align the 45-degree mark on a long rotary ruler with the fold in the fabric's bottom. Friction-fit a piece of 3/4-in. Yoshio Okada also invented the world’s first rotary cutter. 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