I'm a self taught quilter so I may very well have taught myself a bad habit. I like measuring and cutting from right to left and bottom to top (ie I place the lower right corner of fabric in the lower right corner of mat and slide my ruler to the left as I measure out to cut). I was OK with this until I bought a new cutting mat.

My Omnigrid (old mat) has horizontal markings that begin with 1" in the lower right corner and the vertical markings have both 1" in a small font and the large font is the reverse marking (24").

I bought a new mat recently to cover my entire board. It's not a self healing mat - it's the other type (made by Beba). Anyway, I didn't notice that mat is oriented to the left - both the vertical and horizontal markings for 1" are ONLY in the lower left corner. If I want to measure in both directions from the right I have to count backwards!! Wish I had noticed this when I bought it. If I flip it to the opposite side, the horizontal markings are left to right but the vertical markings are top to bottom. No where on the mat do the 1" markings meet at a corner.

So I wondered ... does anyone (other than lefties) cut from left to right? I looked at quite a few mats online just now and there seems to be as many right to left as there are left to right.

Argh ... I just went and marked my new mat with a magic marker to see if that will end my aggravation.

Right to left here! I'm right handed.

Most of the time it's just us Lefties that cut left to right, I have just learned to adapt like with everything else. Good luck. If you haven't purchased one yet the ergonomic rotary cutter for Lefties is worth the money. Mine is a Martelli brand but I think there are others available.

Umm, I've always been told not to use the mat to measure with, but I must confess I use mine at least to line it up and then use the ruler to cut. How about if you used a fine sharpie to write the correct numbers under the incorrect ones? Or maybe every other one rather then all?

It's interesting, I just bought a new mat and haven't used it much myself, I need to check and see how the numbers run, I bought an Alvin after I saw glowing raves, here I think.

I tend to cut right to left because it is easier for me as a right hander. I was reading through a begginers quilt book I had and it said to line fabric up and cut from left to right. I guess it then becomes a matter of preference.

I'm looking at your green mat again if you turn it so the large 23 is in the left lower corner and the large 123 are going from lower left corner up it would be perfect because above the large 23,22,21 etc. You have 1,2,3. That is a great mat. Then you can cut left to right and no backwards counting.

I don't use the numbers on my mat. I measure with my ruler. Lay fabric on mat straight cut on my left lay ruler on fabric line up horizontal line on ruler with bottom and top folds of fabric. Slide to my right until I have say 2 inches under ruler cut with right hand raise ruler. have 2 inch strip. Does this make sence to you?

Hi Sue, I only use the lines on the mats to help line up my fabric. I don't use the mat lines to cut by. I use my rulers to measure and cut the fabric. I don't cut near the lines on the mat. I even sometimes angle my fabric for cutting if cutting small sections so as to not continually be cutting on the straight lines of the mat.

Pam M

I can honestly say I cut both ways, mostly it depends which side of my cutting table is cleared off :) :) I ALWAYS count twice so I can cut once, and it doesn't matter to me about the numbers.

Same here!

The green mat isn't the the problem - that one has 1" horizontal and vertical (vertical is in a smaller font) on the lower right corner.

The problem is the Bebe mat. One side has horizntal numbers right to left - the other left to right - which is good - BUT the side with the R to L horizontal markings has the vertical numbers in the opposite direction. The only corner that has 1" marks meeting is the lower left corner. Must be a left handed mat :)

I used a magic marker and re-marked it so it makes sense!!

And yes ... I use my mat to measure. I don't want to be dinking around with two rulers to keep in place to measure and cut. I have a hard enough time making sure the one ruler I'm cutting with doesn't slip.

I use mine for cutting only i use my rulers

I cut left to right, I am right handed, never thought of doing it the other way

I use the lines on the mat to line up the fabric and for measuring fabric length and width. If squaring the ends I cut with the fabric to the left but if I'm cutting fabric for piecing I measure with my ruler and the main fabric to my right. It just seems natural to me that way. Plus I think I was taught that way?

I am mainly a right-handed person although I have always done sport related things left-handed. Don't know if this is why I cut fabric the way I do.

I use it whichever way is easiest. I also ignore the 1 and often count down from the higher number if it is more convenient.

I think if it suits you best, ignore their markings and write your own. No point in setting yourself to have to count every inch every time you want to cut. I never use the number 1 anyway. I usually start at 2 or 3 so I am sure I am absolutely straight up and down and side to side. So for an 8" strip for instance I start at 2 and cut to 10. Never did re-mark it because I like to vary it so I'm not always cutting at the same position. If you put blue painters tape on it, you can shift it over from time to time, so you're not wearing at the same exact place every time either. Best of Luck!

I turn my mat over and use the plain side. The lines on the rulers and the lines on the mat were too confusing for my brain. I only use my rulers to measure.

At a quilt quild meeting, I was told to cut straight away from body for accuracy. It makes sense.

I never use the markings on my mat. I hold down my ruler with my left hand and rotary cut with my right hand, on the right of the ruler to get a straight edge. Then I rotate the matt and measure from the straightened edge to cut my sub units on the right. Can you tell by how many times I've said "to the right" that I am very right handed and left hand challenged? Go figure, two of my sisters are left handed.
Looks like a real nice mat and I hope you can make it work for you. The marker sounds like a good solution. Quilters are pretty ingenious!

I was taught that cutting by the measurements on the mat was inaccurate. Due to the thickness of the lines, are you measuring by the outside of the line or the inside of the line? That was why my first quilts were hard to fit. My strips were not really equal. So I always use my rulers and I cut all pieces for a quilt with the same 6x24 ruler. I square up with a 12.5 ruler. This way all blocks are exactly the same. Even a 16th of an inch can make a difference.

I'm right-handed and cut left to right. I only use the lines on the mat to line up the fabric. I was told once that the markings on the mats aren't always accurate, so I never used them.

Me too.

I use them for getting a straight line to begin with. After that, sometimes I even cut on them diagonally, using my ruler for cutting. Depends on how much clutter I have to move. :twisted:

I cut from both ways, depending on what is more convenient at the time. :D:D:D

yes, I do as well. trim fabric on right hand side. move ruler over to the left re: how many inches I need to cut then make my cut. I can't seem to start from the other directions. :)

The only thing I use the lines on the mat for are to make sure my fabric edge is straight across. I never use the actual measurements of it.

I'm with you.....self-taught, right to left, and marked my June Tailor with a sharpie when the measurements went left to right on the bottom and right to left on the top. And then.....through the years I've taken different colors of sharpies and marked cutting lines when they were weird ones that I had to cut a lot of and didn't want to keep figuring them out in my head, like the time I cut a bunch of fabric into 1 5/8" strips for strip piecing.

I do whatever way is easier. Sometimes I count back from the higher number too.

I'm a self-taught rightie. I do not use the markings on the mat. For my first straightening cut I have my fabric on the left side of my body and cut on the right side edge. I then flip the fabric so it is on the right side of my body, line ruler up with straightened edge and cut on the right side of the ruler. I use the horizontal line on the ruler on the folded edge of the fabric to make sure all is 'square'. I have a 6.5" wide ruler and rarely do I need to cut wider strips than that. If I do, yes, I take a second ruler and add the additional measurement to the 6.5 in. ruler and then use only the 6.5 ruler to cut. I also recently put the invisigrip dots on the corners of my ruler and I can't tell you how helpful they are for not having the ruler slip. If I remember to put the grips down, that is!

Same here.

I use both methods since I'm both a left hander and right hander.

Depending on which mat I am using at the time and rotary cutter I just count backwards if that is the case.

Now that I think of it I think I equally use both left and right. So that has never been an issue with me.

I always measure my cuts with my ruler, not the mat.

Same for me. I even stand to the sides of it and cut long borders & strips across the surface instead of up & down. My friend always uses the lines on the mat to measure & goes through cutting mats much faster than I do.

I never use my mat to measure with. I use only my rulers. I am never sure that the measurements on the mat are true to size. The rulers I am sure of. I will use the lines on the cutting mat to make sure that my fabric is straight before I start cutting, but will never use the mat to measure with, only to cut my material out on.
I am also a right-handed individual and do start cutting on the left side and move to the right.

I am taking a class and the teacher is left handed I myself as well she is teaching the entire class to cut with both hands you should try I would have never believed that I could the Omni-grid mat that I have has a few lines that are not accurate so make sure that you check with a rule before you cut or you will be off if the lines are a smidgen off we are also taught to use our rule and not the lines on the mat Teacher is a perfectionist which I like you do a great job in her class

Ricky Tims says to only use your mat to line up your fabric and to use your ruler to measure and cut from the left to the right....but that's Ricky Tims. I've seen him "cheat" already though, in his flying geese tute on YouTube. Imagine that! LOL
My personal experience...I started out using my mat to measure and cut from right to left with a good measure of success. Over time though, grooves were worn in my mat, aging it well before its time. I've switched from doing it that way, to using the mat to line up my fabric and using my ruler to cut from left to right. I've found by doing it this way, my strips were more accurate. It is a pain to have to use 2 rulers when your strips measure more than 6.5 inches, but to me, accuracy is worth more than ease...but that's just me. Experiment and see which one works better for you. Rest assured that whichever method you choose to use, it will not prompt a visit from the "Quilt Police". I've tried a bunch of things that were suggested on this board that I might not have tried before...some worked, some didn't, but at least I gave it a shot. Quilting is all about enjoyment...if you have to apply rules, it becomes a chore. So use what works for you and have yourself a great time doing it!

I'm right handed and go from left to right.

i use my mat for cutting not measuring

Great discussion. Thanks.

I've done it both ways, depending on how much table space I have to cut - and it works both ways for me. I do not have a cutting table persay - I use the kitchen/dining room table and it houses everything from his mail to the papers and magazines, and heaven forbid anything get moved; not a good situation, but that is how I got to cutting either way - depending on the other "situation".... I'm right handed - and I cut from bottom to top - or if I'm cutting longways across the width of the fabric in front of me, I cut right to left. BUT I have also cut from left to right on there also.

I have to agree with this post about NOT using the mat for measurements. I use two rulers for aligning up and measuring. Then I remove either the right or left ruler to cut with either hand. ALSO, I will use a ruler that is at least 24 inches and push it up against the wall so it cannot move any direction. The mat and fabric underneath can then be adjusted to line up correctly. I get much more accurate results this way. EXCEPT when I forget to put a piece of tape beside the measurement I am using! Had to go buy more fabric for last log cabin quilt I made as the kit did not allow for my mistakes! Happy cutting and quilting!