Simplicity rotary cutting machine--trick for strip cutting
I have had the deluxe Simplicity rotary cutting machine for awhile now, but hadn't gotten around to using it.
I got it out this morning to cut some strips for a quilt I am making and was sorely disappointed. Then I went to this board and searched for comments on this machine and everything I was experiencing was confirmed. I could not get it to feed the fabric completely straight and accurately (even after using spray starch). However, I noticed that paper would feed through the machine with good accuracy, since it is stiffer than fabric. I decided to try ironing freezer paper onto the back of my fabric and feeding it through the machine. Voila! It worked wonderfully! I think it helped also that I had a inch or so of paper at the beginning and at the end (beyond the fabric) so it had an easier start with just the paper. I realize that the freezer paper will add some to the cost of the project, but now I can use the machine for cutting strips for quilting (at least until something better comes my way). I would not recommend anyone getting this machine for the purpose of cutting strips for quilting but, for anyone else who already has this machine, I hope this will help them get some use out of it.