Cutting Mats
 

Hello, I am new here and my main interest is in dyeing my own cloth and improvisational quilting. Would love to hear from anyone else interested in improv quilting.
But my main question I would like to pose to the forum is - does anyone know where in Australia you can get large cutting mats. In the US you can buy a mat that is 39 inches by 59 inches for about $40. It is semi opaque and has measurements and angles on it. But here I see green ones and it is really hard to get one beyond an A0 size and they are all so expensive.
I am making a queen size quilt and I am having so much trouble trying to cut on the smallish mats that I have been able to buy. I have Googled but no luck so far! So if anyone has a helpful suggestion, I would so appreciate it.
Thank you.
Ellie

I hope you are able to find a mat that will work. If cutting fabric, I like it to be at least 22" in width since that is about the size of fabric when it is folded in half. Have you tried eBay?? Some sellers in the states do ship internationally, oh but the shipping cost!! Good Luck.

Hi and welcome. There are many active Australian members who should be able to point you in the right direction. I will say the white/semi opaque mats are not self healing like the green ones are. They also tend to dull blades quicker.

I have both, and I like my green Olfa mats the best.

I had wanted to upgrade my cutting mat to a larger size to fit my table. Couldn't find the self-healing type my size so decided to make the table to fit the mat. I went and got an Alvin self-healing mat. Green on one side, black on the other side, both with measurements. I went into Google and put in self-healing and it came up with a couple of sites. One was cutting-mats.coms. Another type of mat is called "rhino" which is a very sturdy mat too. Yes, the larger the size, the more expensive but I found it worth it to me. My blades were going dull too fast and now I don't think I've had to change my blade in 6 months of cutting. Well worth the price I paid.

welcome. you might try getting two self-healing mats and placing them side by side... maybe tape the back or edges to keep them from moving away from each other. just a thought

Thank you to everyone for the welcome and the great ideas. I did think of getting my friend in Wisconsin who uses the white mats all the time, to buy me one and post it - but as ManiacQuilter2 said - oh, the cost of the shipping! I have seen the Rhino mats, but the cost is prohibitive. I will have to save up for some cheaper green ones i have seen that are a bit bigger than A0. Actually I tried taping some smaller ones together but it doesn't work as well. Maybe wait until my next trip and buy a couple to bring home as part of my luggage :)
Thanks again to everyone

I found this site http://www.fatcatalog.com/pf/7546/gb...er-trimmers612 The cost of the mats is fairly reasonable; as already stated, the cost of shipping may be prohibitive. Have you checked your local office supply stores? They may be able to order one for you.

Try www.sewingemporium.com. The mats come in different sizes, and you can custom order any size you want, too. I got mine as a quilt show special. Also, I discovered the rotary cutting blades don't get dull as fast as they do on other brands, and they last longer, too. Hope this helps.