Let’s Cut to the Chase Chaps {Novumber #2}

Yesterday, while we were identifying all those machine bones, my mind wandered to thoughts fantasies of efficient cutting.

There was nothing for it.  I took the icy plunge and forked out more pounds sterling for yet another rotary cutter – I’ve posted before about how pants I am at cutting.  

Turns out it was my bloomin chocolate teapot of a rotary cutter to blame, not my inability to learn a new skill, after all.


Who Knew? 

Once I had my new sultry little vixen Olfa to compare it to, I realised that the blade and screw/washer combo simply didn’t match up.  It was a dud.


This explains precisely why the blade never cut anything properly, no matter what I shoved at it, other than my longest fingernail (and even then I had to finish it off with nail clippers). 


All that angst I could have been chanelling elsewhere!


Now I glide across my fabric like a champion figure skater and am learning not to be so bitter that (despite what feels like a million entries) I have not yet won an Accuquilt Go! 


Yay! Things are looking up!  That’s two things on my Novumber list already showing a sliver of improvement.

… anyway, enough of all that !

-  check out this nerdy chocolate! - 

- click pic for more yumminess -  (in the US)

Measure Twice, Cut Once? More like “Pass blade across fabric x 20” ! {Blogtoberfest #4}

Ok, so yesterday was about me sharing something I learned about sewing straight seams

Today I’m going to share my CUTTING nightmare!

I use a rotary cutter but until a couple of weeks ago I could hardly EVER get it to cut right through the fabric first time (and I’m talking one layer sometimes)

I tried

• changing the blade
  
• loosening/tightening the screw that holds the blade
  
• using the smoother side of my cutting mat ( = no rules on it, grr)

I have two different cutters  – 

 this Olfa 45mm - my main one:

 

and a small Janome, a bit like this, but with an angled head & a pinking blade:

 


I had pretty much given up (can you see a pattern forming here!?) and was just using my dressmaking scissors (bit wobbly but at least a nice clean cut)


In desperation I found the MOST FANTASTIC TUTORIAL here:

pic from purl bee

It’s all about the angle! I was tipping my cutter handle upwards way too much - about 60 degrees too much! – 




I hadn’t even noticed that nice straight edge along the bottom to help

So ... NOW I can cut much more effectively … it’s still a little temperamental sometimes, but I think that’s because my cutting mat has seen better days (I used it for paper and glue for years!)

How long did it take you to learn how to use your rotary cutter? 
… Or is all this ineptitude just down to me !?

.... Don't forget to pop and see who else is Blogtoberfest-ing.