Cutting Help
 

Howdy y'all :)

I was unfortunately the victim of assault Monday night. In the process, my right thumb was broken and my hand is in a cast. I have two projects in progress and two others I could potentially start on. Even though I think I can still sew, since I'm right handed I can't grip scissors or a rotary cutter to do any cutting. On the main project I'm working on, all of the initial pieces have been cut out and strips sewn together. But the sewn together strips now have to be cut before I can do anything else! Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can cut these strips without being able to use my hand? All 4 of these projects are sorta "time sensitive", so I NEED to be able to work on them! I'd sure appreciate any ideas! :)

Donna

I don't have any ideas for you, but I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your situation. Hope you heal quickly and can get back to work on your quilts.
Sue

Is there a family member, friend or neighbor that could help cut these for you? If there is a guild in you town call and ask for help.

Oh Donna, how awful!! I hope you heal very quickly and whoever assaulted you is punished quickly and severely. I hope you are okay otherwise. It must have been scary.

Unfortunately, I have no advice for you on cutting. I tripped and fell while I was running (on purpose, my daily exercise) Sunday and ended up with several ugly deep gashes on my left wrist and right elbow, plus a cracked rib. My first thought after I fell was, "I hope I can still sew." I couldn't bend my wrist and somehow that made using my machine really hard Monday and Tuesday, but yesterday I could get a method going that worked. It was so frustrating, as I couldn't even operate my can opener. I just had to have help.

You may just need to get someone to cut for you for a bit. I'd come over if I was closer! A very sharp new rotary blade and a Shape Cut ruler "might" make cutting possible? Pushing down with the cutter is the problem, I am sure.

Okay, I am no real help. I will be thinking of you and hoping someone else here has an actual solution for you.

Dina

I'm sorry, I can't think of anything to do but holler for help!! Any teenagers in the family that you can recruit?

Maybe you'll get lucky and whoever helps you will get "bit" by the quilting bug and become a new quilting buddy?

(Sorry to hear you got mugged...how awful!! I got robbed once, at knife point, but thankfully I had a weirdly polite robber - when he figured out I was a broke teenager with all of $3 to my name he didn't even take my wallet. Just told me to turn around and run, which I promptly did! Scared me half to death though!!)

((hugs)) what an awful thing to have happen! When the pinched nerve in my shoulder was awful I couldn't use my arm. I put my cutting matt on the kitchen floor, folded my material to cut and put my large 15 inch square ruler on the fabric. I sat on the ruler and was able to cut with my other arm. Was it fun? No but I wanted to sew!
Your options are to get someone to cut your fabric for you, use pre-cuts or wait until you can do it yourself. :(

I am so sorry for your horrible experience! I don't have any ideas other than getting help from someone else to do the cutting. Sure wish I lived close enough to help.

Oh my! Has happened to me twice! Won't go into it but was able to defend myself and the perp will never hurt anyone again. Not because of me though! Anyway prayers for you to recover in every way quickly. Do You know anyone who could help you? Any sewing centers or guilds nearby? What about friends? Maybe they know people. I'm betting there is some one close who can and will help you. Call your doctor or nurse at the drs.' office. Your sphere of influence may be bigger than you think.

Wow!! I am so sorry! That's awful! Praying for quick healing. Hopefully you can recruit a spouse or kid or friend to help you with the cutting. I was able to very carefully cut with a Martelli cutter when I had surgery on my shoulder and it was in a sling for 8 weeks. I had my DH do my pressing and he and a friend spray basted my quilts for me so I could quilt them.

Call a local quilt group, I bet another quilter would be happy to assist you

My prayers are with you, I hope you heal fast and can get back to your quilting. I wish I could tell you how to get the cutting done but other than having someone else do it for you I have no idea.

I am wondering where in ky you are at? I am close to Louisville, Sorry to hear of your trouble.

So sorry to hear that you were hurt. Hopefully, the perp(s) have been caught and will be punished. I, too, wish I closer to give you a hand. Do you have an LQS in your area? Or maybe you could talk to the Home Ec (I know that's not what they call it now, but Domestic Engineering sounds weird) teacher at the high school. If you're willing to pay for help, I'm sure there'd be a student or two who would like to earn some cash.

Hope you heal quickly.

I have a friend that is handicapped and another gal and I do all her cutting for her. I'm sure you could find someone to help you as quilters are always so helpful. So sorry for your scary ordeal, your thumb will heal quickly but it will take longer to get over the assault.

I am so sorry. Is there a LQS that could help you at least with your cutting? I know my friend who is a member of the board here occasionally takes fabric in to be cut by them for a small service charge. Wish you didn't live so far away.

Try fellow workers, spouse, neighborhood teens, friends teens. My grandfather did a lot of the cutting and quilting help for my Gma so dont over look the guys in your life

Where are you in KY? I see someone has answer who is close to Louisville. I'm in Richmond, just south of Lexington.

Donna, I'm so sorry this happened to you! I would also suggest finding someone to assist. It sounds like there is not too much cutting that has to be finished. May you have a speedy recovery!

Sorry for your troubles. I hope you are able to find someone to help you with the cutting.

If I lived nearby, I would come and cut for you.

Hope you recover quickly.

That's awful. I hope you recover soon! Perhaps in a few days your right hand will feel well enough that you can lay it on your ruler and cut with your left hand. You need to put your cutting blade on the other side of your cutter to do this. I would practice on scraps first! I learned how to cut left handed due to the arthritis in my hand making right handed cutting painful-of course, I have arthritis in my left hand, too!

if you don't think you can do this, all I can suggest is what others have said - ask a friend or guild member to help you. So sorry for your shattering experience. I can't help but admire your fortitude in wanting to get back to quilting right away! I would probably have a nervous breakdown, personally!

I just purchased a ruler that might be of help to you. It is clear 6" X 27 1/2" long that has a cutter built into it. You use the palm or whole hand to push the cutter up & down. They are on the internet altho I purchased mine at our State Fair from Patrick Lose who had a booth, fabric & patterns there. In fact he cut my fabric with one & sold me on it! I have used mine & believe you would be able to work this ok. The cutter on it is kind of round & easy to use. It has small strip of sandpaper on the back to help it stay in place. It is pricey but I feel I'll get a lot of good out of it. .

If you have a quilting friend now is the time to call. I'm pretty sure any quilt shop would be glad to help in such a situation. Do you have a neighbor who would be willing to help?? That's a real bummer. Hope you get better soon!

I hope that you are beginning to heal and will be all better soon. I also hope that you have found someone to help you with your cutting. I am so sorry that you have had to suffer this horrible experience.

Prayers for healing coming your way! I'm so sorry for what happened to you. Call your LQS, or a Guild that can help you out. Blessings...

USE YOUR LEFT HAND! A quilting friend gives classes, and she learned to cut with her left hand in front of her students. I'm trying to learn that, and do it once in a while. It can be done. Just practice on scraps for a while, and go very slowly. You are now a beginner learning all over again.

GOOD LUCK!

First of all, I feel very sorry for what has happened. I also have some concern regarding your desire to start sewing just yet.

What is your doctor's advice on using your hand at this point of your recovery? Resting your hand to let the right thumb heal may be more important right now than quilting. Your future ability to use your thumb as well (and painlessly) as possible is the goal.

There is no quilt deadline that cannot be put off. As much as we love our hobby, the people the quilts are intended for can surely wait a little longer if need be.

I'm so sorry to hear of your unfortunate experience. If there isn't a quilting buddy handy (I would gladly help you, but I'm in Ohio) would you be able to call your local quilt shop? At our local shop there is Tues. morning sewing, Sit and Sew and a UFO day. Certainly there would be a quilter there willing to give you a hand (pun intended).

Also if there is a quilt club or guild in your area I'm sure they would help a temporarily disabled quilter!

Hope your thumb heals quickly.

That is terrible! See if you can recruit some help from your Sunday School class or church or a quilt guild. Or maybe you could hire someone who would like to work for an hour or two--check your local employment office. Have you got kids or grandkids nearby? Neighbors kids? If I were there, I would help you and I don't even know you, so I'm sure you have acquaintances that would help. froggyintexas

My sincerest sympathies for being assaulted, what an awful thing to go through. My only thought would be to work on the project that has already been cut and if possible, do you have a quilting friend who might be able to help you. Again, I'm so sorry this happened to you, and I hope your arm heals quickly.

First of all, my condolences. I hope you will heal both physically and psychologically. What an awful thing to be going through. Secondly, do you belong to a quilting guild? If not, is there one near you. I know my members would gladly help someone out if they needed it and it sounds like you do. Blessing upon you.

I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I sure would't use a rotary cutter until you get both hands working again.

Golfergal, can you tell me what this ruler is called, or give me a brand name? I'd love to look it up but have no idea what to look for. Thanks! :)

Donna

I too wish I was close to you to offer help. The ruler suggested by Golfergal sounds very interesting and I too would like to see it. I looked at Patrick Lose on line but could not find it. I also do not know how to follow this thread and am sure I will miss the response. Someone please tell me how to stay in the loop.
Thanks.

I would take them - all pressed and stacked neatly - to a local quilt shop and ask for help. If the employees are too busy, I'm sure one of the quilting shoppers would offer assistance. And, if they are shopping there, chances are they know what they are doing (as opposed to the large fabric stores).

The cutter/ruler combo is like these, available on Amazon, Nancy's Notions and some other places. I have one that is 6.5 inches wide. I like it a lot. Some people don't. One thing is you have to use steady pressure the whole time you push down on the cutter or it will skip. You might be able to learn to use this with your left hand with just a bit of practice.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXIACSU/...l_4rsa7grsh6_b

http://www.nancysnotions.com/product...uler+cutter.do

Think about checking with your doctor to make sure you can use the hand as much as you want to, to make sure you don't hold up the healing.

The best suggestion you have been given is to find a quilt guild, church group, friend, neighbor, and be humble to get help. Having broken fingers and torn tendons, etc. even being able to cut with either hand, that all ceased. I could not use the correct pressure, I was in a cast, then fingers had to have therapy. If time is an issue, get the HELP. Have patience with yourself. Allow the time to heal.

Donna, you poor darling! I'm saying a prayer for speedy healing for you, and I'm sure others have done the same.

Please be careful with the thumb injury - don't push yourself too hard. Your thumbs are so important to so many things we do, but none of us realizes that until they're not working well. Let those who are getting the 'time sensitive' quilts know that your hand is seriously injured so the time has to be extended. If they are friends/family and love and value you, they will understand!

If you absolutely must finish these projects, see if there is a fellow quilter who can help you with the cutting and trimming.

Donna - how awful for you! I'm glad it wasn't more serious than that, though. Any friends, family members that could help? Do you have a quilt store nearby? I got to know the ladies in mine so well, I would have gone and asked if they could help. Teenager? Good luck.

I too, want to extend my good wishes that you heal for this terrible experience, both physically but, especially emotionally. Wish I lived close I would be glad to come help you with your cutting needs.

Perhaps, if you could post the general area where you live, that maybe someone on here who would be willing to assist you, in you time of need. Just an idea.