WOW!! Ya'll are quite a wonderful bunch, I can tell. Thank you SO much for all the info. And I'm very pleased to say I have already done most of what was suggested - I have a good Olfa self healing mat, an Olfa cutter (the retracting one with the pinking blade too), several rulers (the newest of which I got yesterday at Hobby Lobby that has a lip edge on it and is LONGER than my mat - I think that was part of the problem) and several other goodies. And thanks to ya'll - I skipped the automatic cutter. I did go look - but when there wasn't one I took that as a sign from above and told my husband "I'm going to follow my quilting ladies' advice and use my rotary cutter instead and save the $80 bucks I would have used for the cutter on fabric!" AND - I found a GOLDMINE of fabric at our local thrift store that is associated with the association of the blind. They had bags and bags of fabric for not very much - and some very nice sheets for backing. I even did the hand trick to check to see if they were thin and discarded a few I had picked up. Now to get my crafting space in order (OY!) and tackle the binding on this quilt...again...for the umpteenth time...LOL..but I'm learning..(I repeat that often..under my breath...over..and over..LOL)