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I took a break of a couple of years and had the same problem with all of my rotary cutters. The blades had developed a brown haze (not quite rust) and I had to go out and buy new ones. Even the new ones that had been sitting in my sewing drawer were unusable. I say wait till you find a good sale on blades and replace the ones you have. Good luck!
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Also, if you mat is bad, you won't be able to cut. Is is grooved from use or really dried out??
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Once you get back into quilt making, don't stop. I never take a break, I just keep on going.
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Just jump in there and quilt away!
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Have you tried using a June Tailor shape cut? This guides your rotary cutter so you can cut straight strips. Once you have strips, you can align the strips under the cutter and cut squares.
You could also consider investing in an Accuquilt Go! This is a die-cutter, so no rotary cutters involved, and it makes very accurate cuts. I prefer it especially for triangles because it cuts off the little excess corners, making matching very easy. Prices have come down a lot on the Go's, so you can get started with one for about $200 nowadays. |
Are there any quilds in your area. You can ask about that at your nearest Quilt Shop. I joined a small quild that meets every other week for several hours. I learned so much from them and they got me really excited about quilting again.
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If my rotary cutter wasn't working and I wanted to 'be back sewing', I'd use my scissors and just start cutting and make a crazy quilt!! Get going Wiskid!! Whatever you create, it's better than not starting at all!! Come back to quilting!!
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Good for you for putting your big gitl pants back on! You sound like you are determined to succeed. I too have problems with rotary cutters, but won't let it stop me. Happy quilting!
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new2q - you sound just like me. It must be the long break that has made me have troubles. I will check my cutters and see if I have them put together right. I bought the blade sharpener some time ago, but that has so many parts that if you don't exactly remember how it went togeth, WOE BE UNTO YOU!!! I guess I don't want to give up but sometimes it is very frustrating.
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Originally Posted by Prism99
(Post 5189078)
Have you tried using a June Tailor shape cut? This guides your rotary cutter so you can cut straight strips. Once you have strips, you can align the strips under the cutter and cut squares.
You could also consider investing in an Accuquilt Go! This is a die-cutter, so no rotary cutters involved, and it makes very accurate cuts. I prefer it especially for triangles because it cuts off the little excess corners, making matching very easy. Prices have come down a lot on the Go's, so you can get started with one for about $200 nowadays. |
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