Onebyone

I found that the dies don't last all that long, the mats wear out fairly fast, you never have the right die and the cutting is not necessarily perfect. If you don't cut on the length of the grain, the pieces will be off.

??Some of my dies are decades old. They still cut like new. Strip dies only get the curve if the fabric is not on the die correctly, doesn't matter what grain is cut. I think some video tutorials on using the Accuquilt system will help you a lot with the strip dies.

Only the Go Big is electric. The Go and Go Me (Baby) are manual. The die will stop cutting correctly if the mat is worn or cracked. I agree that sometimes I get a snarky customer rep from Accuquilt. I hang up and call back later or the next day until i get a nice one which seems to be few and far between. I always get the names of the reps and email accuquilt with names of how I felt I was treated good or bad. I don't let bad customer service get me down, I get bad right back.[QUOTE]

quiltingshorttimer

yes--I have the GoBig and it's worth it for me---I have some shoulder issues and carpel tunnel developing some and it sure helps. I have the 12" Qube (I mostly make 12" blocks) and the strip die bundle (I use the 2.5" strip die all the time) and several Blocks On Board (BOB) which have allowed me to make more complex blocks that I otherwise would probably not attempt. I suggest that once you order it, go onto their site and look at the tutorials--they really make it easier and you'll be successful.

Sew Girl 2

I have the Big Go, Go and baby go. I love them all. The Big go is my favorite and it can cut other size blocks if you use the strip cutter. If you want a 2 x 2 squareand you don't have a die, you can cut a 2 inch strip, then turn your fabric and cut again for a 2 inch square. I use all my strip cutter the most. I have also use the heart and circle die a lot. I take the baby go to classes if we are doing a lot of cutting and it's small. Your arm can get tired turning the Go, but if I am only wanting a couple hearts, stars or circle, it's easier to get out as it weights a lot less. I think my Big Go was $449. plus free shipping. Dies are expensives, but they stay sharp and last a long time if you take care of them.

QuiltnLady1

I have had the GO Big for a couple of years - hand and arm issues mean I can't turn the crank. I it and find myself adapting patterns to the size dies I have. I got the Go Big on sale before Christmas, then waited until the cubes went on sale and bought the 6' and 12' as well as the companion sets in the same sizes. I am thankful I have the Go Big -- I couldn't cut fabric for larger quilts without it.

Here are some hints:
-- I starch my fabric almost board stiff before cutting so my pieces are accurate and have no issues when I piece.
-- I draw on my dies - I have found that if I extend the edges of the dies so I can check placement of the fabric it saves a lot of time.
-- I am also a fabric miser and I experimented until I found the minimum amount of extra fabric I need past the blades and I marked that on the dies as well (if you don't leave some fabric past the edge of the blades you get the fabric stuffed between the blade and the sponge and you get a bad cut). I leave a least a quarter inch around but my fabric is stiff.
-- Clean out any threads that get stuck as you get them - otherwise they are a bugger to get out
-- for my square mats, I rotate the mat 90 degrees every time I cut, then turn it over and rotate 90 degrees after each cut. The next time I offset the cut by a hair (as long as the mat covers the blades you are OK to move it around and rotate it). When I declare a mat dead it is well and truly dead. For the non-square mats I turn them 180degrees and move them as I can. The idea is to no continually cut in the same place.
-- If I use a block with several shapes and I want to cut several fabrics side by side I try to but the fabrics against each other (I draw a line halfway between the shapes) so I don't have to count the over lap as one of the 8 layers

Hope this helps.

Rhonda K

Quilt Lady,

Just wondering if you cut 8 layers on the dies?

I only cut 6 layers at a time. Fabrics with fusible product on the back can be stacked to cut cut 4 layers. Yes, I have to be careful not to overlap fabrics on dies with multiple cut shapes.

Onebyone

One of my guild members bought a Go and complained about it constantly. She brought it to a sew day so the members that had one could help her. She watched a demo but never followed the instructions, nor read the instructions on the die packages. All she did was say how awful the Go was and not worth the money. Ignorance is everywhere, even at guild.

craftiladi

QuiltnLady1 thanks so much for the great tips. I have the Go Big, I am fairly new at it and still learning.