Cut along the right edge of the ruler to square up the end of the strip. Do this slowly at first, or you'll risk cutting your pattern. Place your rotary ruler near the right end of a cut strip, aligning a horizontal rule with its lower edge. Cricut does have a manual rotary cutter in their accessory cabinet! Get DIY project ideas and easy-to-follow crafts to help you spruce up your space. 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. However, just as scissors have evolved, so too has the rotary cutter. This ease-of-use is the reason that rotary cutters have won the admiration of quilters. Use medium sized or small rotary cutters like the 18 or 28mm for curved cuts, tight corners, and trimming seams. Fold the fabric along its length, selvages together. I also bought the 6 x 24 ruler. Individual patchwork shapes can be sub-cut, understand some basic terms and techniques. It’s another Fiskars, a stronger and … Hey y’all, today I’m answering another of your sewing questions. This is used to cut lengths of fabric (normally in conjunction with this Acrylic Ruler and Self-healing mat). The Spruce Crafts uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Rotary cutters cut a lot faster than scissors! When using a string, be sure not to allow the string to become caught in the rotary cutter. 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. If you are left-handed, work from the opposite side of the fabric, placing fabric and rulers in mirror-image positions. After all, the first rotary cutter was manufactured in 1979. A rotary cutter allows me to simply lay out my pattern, put down some pattern weights, then cut cut cut! Avoid hand fatigue and work comfortably when you hold the cutter in the right position with precise alignment. Hold the ruler in place and cut along its right edge. Back in 1979, the first rotary cutter was introduced by OLFA, and it revolutionized sewing, making fabric... 2. The first cutters had a straight handle and a 28 mm blade. Spread your fingers out to hold the ruler securely, but take care to keep fingers out of the cutter's path. Dull blades cut poorly, and are more of a safety concern than sharp ones. Align the correct line on your ruler with the angled edge of the fabric and the 45-degree line with the fold. Some people still use scissors to cut fabric and it’s okay. Roll the cutting blade along the pattern line. With the edge squared up, it's time to rotary cut the fabric strips required for your project. She has published over 350+ articles for The Spruce Crafts. Scroll Cutting The Ryobi Speed Saw is especially useful for cutting odd or unusual shapes. If the piece has a bend in the middle, the fabric's left edge is no longer square. It's not unusual for the leading edge of the fabric to become out of square after several cuts. If it isn't, press out the bold fold and refold it with selvages matched and parallel. 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. The rotary cutter will cut the fabric as it rolls. Not only does this produce a more straight line, it takes more accurate measurements for hems and buttons. This rotary-bit organizer may just inspire a renaissance of rotary tool use in your shop. Afterward, they flip the fabric around and cut from the left. This is because you have to lift your fabric up in order to cut it with fabric scissors. For best results, align the tool with a grid ruler. All rotary cutters have a blade…depending on the brand they have different sizes. 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