Congratulations on joining the quilting world.. I too think that part of your problem is a poor mat. If the mat is worn at all it will dull your blade real fast.. If you have a olfa mat you can wash them and it helps some, if you have one of the white mats they get scratched up real fast and they really dull your blades. It would be worth your time and money to invest in a good mat. You can get them at JoAnn's with coupons at a reasonable cost. Good luck.