New quilter
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Tn
Posts: 8,722
Yep, I agree that it could be your mat. Those white ones do not last as good as the others. Even the self healing mats need replacing every so often. One suggestion, buy your blades when Joann's has them on sale for 40 or 50% off.
#22
Dina
#23
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,131
Hope you post a picture. There are a bunch of us that are Bargellos lovers.
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: NY
Posts: 301
...or you may be hitting into the ruler which nicks the blade. If so, try holding the rotary cutter straight instead of letting it move on an angle. I used to nick the blades and the rulers until I got better at using the rotary cutter.
#25
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
WAWAK.com has good prices on blades, no coupons needed.
Use caution about bearing down hard on the blade - I think this just makes it more difficult to cut, will give you hand fatigue, and if you slip or something breaks you're more likely to get injured. I have been told to push forward, not down when cutting fabric and that tip has made my hands feel a lot better after doing a lot of cutting. Firm pressure should be all you need. I don't change my blades very often at all (every 3-4 quilts probably) and I often cut through 6-8 layers at a time, and I don't need to press that hard on the blade. Firm, yes. Hard, no. (I use a 60mm blade, which helps with all the layers, and they seem to stay sharper longer than the 45's too, but that could just be my imagination.)
I'm also not at all impressed with the ruler that's supposed to sharpen as you cut. I have one and I swear it DULLS my blades, so I've stopped using that edge. (Fortunately the sharpening stuff is just on one edge)
I've tried sharpening blades and I get a little more use out of them, but not much, and if there's a nick there's no saving the blade. So I just buy new blades. (I was using those blue manual sharpeners though, a powered one might do better.)
Welcome to your new addiction, and I do hope you post a pic! There are a LOT of bargello fans here, myself included.
Use caution about bearing down hard on the blade - I think this just makes it more difficult to cut, will give you hand fatigue, and if you slip or something breaks you're more likely to get injured. I have been told to push forward, not down when cutting fabric and that tip has made my hands feel a lot better after doing a lot of cutting. Firm pressure should be all you need. I don't change my blades very often at all (every 3-4 quilts probably) and I often cut through 6-8 layers at a time, and I don't need to press that hard on the blade. Firm, yes. Hard, no. (I use a 60mm blade, which helps with all the layers, and they seem to stay sharper longer than the 45's too, but that could just be my imagination.)
I'm also not at all impressed with the ruler that's supposed to sharpen as you cut. I have one and I swear it DULLS my blades, so I've stopped using that edge. (Fortunately the sharpening stuff is just on one edge)
I've tried sharpening blades and I get a little more use out of them, but not much, and if there's a nick there's no saving the blade. So I just buy new blades. (I was using those blue manual sharpeners though, a powered one might do better.)
Welcome to your new addiction, and I do hope you post a pic! There are a LOT of bargello fans here, myself included.
#26
I use no more than 1 blade per queen/king quilt. I think the suggestions about the cutting board are valid. I use an Olfa mat. I haven't tried sharpeners. I did try Harbor Freight carpet cutting blades with poor results. Someone recently provided a source for blades by the 100's.
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: The Colony, TX
Posts: 3,364
You might also be holding your cutter wrong - yes there is a correct way. Here is a link to Nancy Zimmerman - I looked out there and was surprised at how many of the examples aren't really correct, or like how I was shown. The two important things that I was taught was that 1) the ridges on top of the handle - your index finger should be on that and 2) the angle that you hold it. I have a lot of friends who when I showed them the angle got much better cutting results.
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: The Colony, TX
Posts: 3,364
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