I am new to the sewing scene but am quite pleased with my progress. I have joined in on a couple of the charm swaps and I know there has got to be an easier way to cut out the different sized charms. The christmas swap is for 5" charms. I have not found a 5" cutting board so I am using the large 12"X12" guide and cutting down. I am finding it very time consuming. I purchased a rotary cutter but they seem to dull very quickly. The first 10 charms I cut were fairly easy but now the blade does not cut completely thru the fabric and I am having to go over it several times. If I use scissors the edges look choppy. Any suggestions??
You can buy packs of charms. Your cutting board should't matter are you using a ruler as that is where you measure 5"X5" and sometimes you do have to go over the cuts a few times especially if you are cutting through lots of layers. Hope that helps.
Invest in a clear long gridded quilting ruler. They are usally about 6 inches by 24 inches. With this you will be able to cut your material into 5 inch strips. Once you have the 5 inch strips you can then use the ruler to cut into the 5 inch blocks. Please remember that your rotary cutter is still very sharp even though it does not always cut through the material in one swipe. I know this from experience and the first time you let your guard down you will too.
I got the cutting mat at Hancock Fabrics it said it was self healing but if I healed that slowly I'd be dead by now. I can feel the cuts in the surface. I think I am getting a little better at it. Today I finished up the Christmas charms. I'm just a little disappointed in the rotary cutter. I guess I expected more.
Just for the sake of asking...What kind of rotarty cutter did you get?...and mat? Olfa or Fiskars? I can go a really long time with either one of these blades on my cutter. If you did not get one of these cutters see if you can replace the blade with one of theirs. Also you do need to put some umph into the cut swipe you make even still there will be spots that will need a second cut. I usually make two passes before letting up on the ruler. You can get blade sharpeners and mat healers but if both are fairly new you should not need to use them yet. Congrats on getting your charms all cut!
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. -Henry David Thoreau-
Victoria, You might be pressing too hard with the rotary cutter. Also, make sure to don't have 2 blades in at the same time. It happens. And always push the cutter away not towards you or left to right. Always vertical Practice and you will get the feel of it. As for a ruler: If you plan on doing a lot of these charms and or quilt blocks, please invest in a longer ruler. Like a 6 X 23. This way you can cut the width of the folded fabric not "chunks". I have both the Olfa and Fiskars cutting mats. Ummm 38 X 26?? I think the green Olfa is a better product. But maybe it’s just because I like the color green more.
Kathy H Farmgirl Sister #81 "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world..." (anomymous) http://khartquilt.blogspot.com
I got the Olfa mat and cutter. I found it much easier to mark of the measurements with chalk and cut the charms with my pinking shears. I'll keep practicing.
When I first started out I had "other" people cut my fabric. Then it got to a point I could see it in their faces that they really did not want to do it anymore :-) I went and got a few yards of really inexpensive muslin and practiced cutting out different sizes and lenghts and such. I have a bit more confidence but still a little unsure until the job is done and I remeasure the blocks and see that YES I did it right. The muslin might help you out too. I know our local quilt shop helps people learn to cut fabric (they do it all day long...they know what they are doing). I have also seen people in JoAnn's getting a little tutorial. Check around...Texas is full of great quilters that I am sure would love to lend a hand :-)
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. -Henry David Thoreau-
Cutting charms???
Posted - Oct 07 2009 : 8:35:00 PM
