cutting precision and accuracy
 

is it possible to cut fabric with a rotary cutter and ruler with the same precision and accuracy as with a die cutter? (i am only referring to straight sided shapes with this question.)

I try but my GO does it better and faster! I basically just use it for strips but have found it is worth it for me!

I use both rotary and die cutting. I like die cutting the best. With a ruler it's too much fussy work to get it exactly right.

I have a real problem with accurate cutting. Love my GO but it doesn't do everything so I try to make my blocks a bit bigger so I can trim down. Of course not everything works that way so I keep struggling with it.

I don't worry about a slightly uneven seam allowance as long as the "finished" area is correct. Hence I love paper piecing.

A perfectly cut square will only lead to a perfectly sewn square in one sews perfectly! I think we get too caught up in the idea of perfect/precise...IMHO.

I think you are right, oksewglad.

I really can't give a fair assessment as I have no die cutter and have never tried one. But in my experience and observations most people who have problems cutting strips isn't so much their cutting technique but how the fabric is folded before they make their first cut. If the fabric isn't folded correctly the resulting strips will have a dog leg in them or be uneven in some places. I take a lot of time to ensure my folds are straight which often means the cut ends of the fabric piece don't line up (before I take my first cut from yardage). Even then I will sometimes have a strip that may be just a wee bit off somewhere. I make up for it when I piece by lining up the edges opposite of where I am sewing so the short fall in my cutting is in my seam allowance. So accuracy in piecing can have a bigger impact on the end unit than cutting. That said there are certain patterns I want to make but have not tried and would love to have them die cut. Like winding ways, but that is curved so irrelevant to your question. ;)

Edited to add that I have found my cutting is much more accurate if the fabric is well starched but I don't always take the time to starch before I start cutting.

on the other hand, erratically cut pieces sewn with eneven seams seldom result in a well done block.

I like to cut my fabric “on grain”. That is difficult to do with an Accuquilt. My cutting accuracy is fine. For that reason, I have made the decision to not get an accuquilt.

So true...and may cause problems later on as fabric cut off grain will "twist" after sewn.

On another note..has anyone had the chance to use the Quilters Select rulers? Be forewarned they are very expensive. We have started using them at the LQS and they don't slip! My boss gave me a 6 x 24 for Christmas...what a great gift! I need a new 12.5" square and no doubt will replace it with one of these.

https://quiltersselect.com/products/...uilting-Rulers

I wonder how long the non-slip last on the Quilters Select. Creative Grids rulers are
very good when they are new but after some use the non-slip wears out and I have
to add some Nexcare tape.

I have the small 3" x 6" quilter's select-- I use it a fair amount because it's a useful size that I don't have in any other brand-- it's okay, but I'm not thrilled with the color and the markings on it. It doesn't slip, but as EazyPeezy mentioned I wonder how long that non-slip coating will last.

Rob

I certainly think one can get close. There are factors though for that perfect cut. Is the fabric wrinkled up or pressed flat? Where are the ruler lines placed on the fabric for cutting?

In other words, it's in the details.

I sometimes cut a smidge over the line, piece the fabrics and then trim down to size. More work of course, but the blocks line up better.

I have had the QS rulers since they first came available to buy. So far the non slip is like new and my rulers are used a lot at retreats and classes by a lot of different quilters who want to try them. I like the non glare color and the lines are very thin but bold so I can see them. I have every size of the QS rulers now. I use Creative Grids rulers when I need a specialty ruler.

Hey I will try to keep you updated on the lasting of the QS ruler. It has been used in the shop daily for about 2 months now. I have not noticed any degradation in the coating. Personally I don't have problems with reading it...biggest adjustment I had was going from a 6 1/2" x 24 1/2" ruler to a 6 x 24.

EasyPeezy I wish I had put Nexcare tape on my rulers when they were brand new...I think then the markings wouldn't have worn off! It does help, doesn't it? I think the markings on the QS rulers are between the ruler and the non slip coating. I'm not getting rid of old rulers for these new ones. I'm way too conservative for that.

Oksewglad, I use Nexcare tape for the non-slip coating. Not sure how it would
help on the markings.
I've moved from those awful yellow Omnigrid rulers to Creative Grids. I like the
fine lines on the Creative Grids and it's clear. Not a fan of frosty rulers.
Old rulers can come in handy. I use the square ones when I press my quilt blocks. :):thumbup:

I have a Go! and the two dies that matched Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt Clue 5. Everything was cut with the Go! & I was dismayed at how hard it was to sew them. Perhaps my old Bernina that has run for 8 hours a day for 25 years or so is about to wear out. Seems like the feed dogs want to pull to the left when I get down to the bottom. It's been in for service 2 months ago when it started breaking thread. I put a new hook in it a year ago.

Any ideas? Marcia

My QOV group uses a die cutter to make kits for us to sew and I HATE sewing them. I get much better results with shapes I have cut myself. The kit blocks are never square, they have jagged edges, and they don't lay flat. I hadn't thought of the grain and I'm glad you mentioned it UFO's Galore; that may be why I don't like the results when I use their kits. Next time I am at group I will look carefully at the pieces and see how true to grain they are. Bottom line is I have no interest in owning a die cutter.

ETA: I use Creative Grids rulers and Deb Tucker tools.

I just bought one of these last fall. I really like it. The non slip coating may not last forever, but its totally worth it while it does. I'd buy another in a heart beat.

I've been using QS rulers since they came out. I bought one and was so happy with it that I bought the rest of the available sizes. I wish they would make some more sizes and shapes. I notice no change in the anti-slip property of my rulers and they are the only ones I use. I wouldn't use anything else.

I prefer sewing blocks that I have cut by hand, but the hands and arms have issues so I have a GO big (electric). I agree that getting straight of grain is a challenge, but if I take some extra time positioning the pieces I have managed. What I do know is that if I have a block that is a bit off, I either replace it or pair it with a perfect block so I can get the correct size block -- and yes I have had blocks off with the GO as well as by hand. I do find that starching the fabric heavily helps when either cutting by hand or using the GO.

I have no trouble cutting accurately and have no desire for another big gadget that costs lots to start with and lots more for all the individual dies. I use commonly purchased rulers. No desire for all these fancy things.

I have a Accuquilt Go as well, with far too many of their dies, and sadly I feel I get better results if I cut them myself. I find that I get more accurate results when I properly prepare my fabric (starch and pressing) take my time and get into the zen zone, use a good ruler (love quilters select rulers) and write down each piece I’m cutting on scrap paper, and place the paper on top of the finished pieces before moving onto the next. It’s easy for my eyes to wander if I’m looking at the requirements directly from the pattern. I find that proper prep of fabric results in more accurate cutting, more accurate cutting results in more accurate piecing, more accurate piecing results in more accurate blocks and more accurate blocks results in a more accurate finished product. For myself, I want my time and efforts and the money spent, to end with more than acceptable results.

I learned in a class to stop the drift at the end of a seam place your left index finger on the left edge of the machine foot as you near the end. It works great. When I have a stubborn seam I keep my finger on the foot and it keeps me sewing straight. Expensive class I didn't like once I started it but I always learn something and this tip was worth it. Give it a try for your problem.

I love Quilter's Select - best rulers with non-slip and numbers both lowest to highest and highest to lowest.

If fabric is laid correctly on the Accuquilt dies, you are lining up the length of grain.

I had to chuckle! Using my Accuquilt dies--for me--is more accurate. I prefer to cut out a project in one session and can't do that without using the dies.

It may be possible for some people but not for me :D
I do a lot better with my Accuquilt.

While I have access to a Accuquilt, I prefer to cut my own. My cutting has improved considerably over the years and I am able to always find a use for any misscuts. Nothing is wasted.

Try Quilters Select Rulers
 

Try Quilters Select rulers! While I have and have used Creative Grids tools, they do slip. However, the Quilters Select absolutely DO NOT SLIP at all!! Check your LQS or shop on line at Alex Anderson's THE QUILT SHOW for these.

Would it help to put dots of rubber cement on the back side? Seems like it would keep your ruler from slipping.

Yes, and you can do larger pieces. One of most waste of fabric was on my Accuquilt. I was cutting 5 in squares, I thought this will be so fast, much faster than cutting by hand. It was but the problem was when some of them were 5 in and others weren't. You have to watch the way the grain goes because if its on there wrong, it'll stretch the fabric when cutting. That was one of the first lessons my daughter learned on it as well. I still love my Accuquilt, especially when doing rag quilts but you still have to be careful or you won't get perfect cuts

I have never used a cutting machine of any kind, but I have seen and sewn fabric that was cut on them. The problem was mostly with the grain being off, which was probably operator error.

This discussion reminds me of my mother's church quilting group 20 years ago. The ladies who couldn't or didn't want to sew did the cutting (not with a machine). Others did the piecing. There was a lady in the group who was in her upper 90's. She got so frustrated with the pieces she was expected to sew that she finally said, "I will cut my own." I am in her camp!

I agree about starching. I've always had trouble with strips sets bowing on me. I'm working on a quilt now that started with strip sets. I starched the fabric heavily, was careful with my cutting, sewed starting at opposite ends being careful not to pull the fabric and, lastly, (I think this was the culprit) pressed very carefully using just the up and down movement. All my strip sets were straight! No bowing!

I think you could...as earlier stated Nexcare first aid tape also helps, is opaque, and not as thick as rubber cement could be.

one cannot be more exact/precise/accurate than one's materials and tools allow one to be.

I love my Accuquilt (Studio II). I also occasionally cut by hand, but cutting using die cuts is so much faster. I line up the grain most of the time and have no trouble sewing things. I get great accurate cuts with the die cutter and usually get accurate cuts with rotary cutting as well using a variety of brands of rulers. The advantage of die cutting to me is faster cutting so I can piece more. Biggest downside is the fixed size of the die cuts. Usually I adjust blocks to fit the size dies I have, if possible. If not, I hand cut.

Hi all, I tend to lurk on this board, awed by all the projects everyone is doing. As a relative beginner I have big problems cutting accurately. I don't have a lot of space so have to fold fabric then get a wiggle as I cut over bumps. Thought I'd share this YouTube link called Power cutting as it was really helpful to me, and others might find it useful too.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBKOv3Azzw