I'm ditherin' -
 

My problem is similar to "charity-quilter"'s - I, too, can't get started after a couple years of not doing any sewing. I can't decide on a pattern, I've got enough fabric, and tools, but the tools are laying in a pile on the table. I got a great book that someone recommended - "Cut the Scraps" - it gives a step-by-step approach to getting started with the fabric you have. On the first couple pages it says "don't try to cut more than 6 layers of fabric at a time". I CAN'T EVEN CUT THROUGH ONE!!! I have about 4 different rotary cutters. I bought the blade sharpener too. They (the various parts) are all laying in a pile on the table. I don't know why they won't cut for me.... So I can't get started!!!! The book is great because it gives you several patterns to use with the scraps you cut. HELP, HELP!!

I have this problem also.

I say just do it!!!! Be careful though once you get yourself up and going again it will be hard to leave it alone!!! LOL

How can I get up and get going if I can't cut a square or triangle? I can mark a square and cut it with a scissors? Is that what I must do?

What seems to be wrong, with your cutters? Are the blades not turning or are they rolling over the fabric and just not cutting it?

Do you have a new blade in your cutter? Are you sure it is put together correctly? When you put your blade back on it should not be wobbly, but it should not be so tight that the blade can't turn. What rotary cutter are you using?

If nothing else, to just get started again, so ahead and cut squares with scissors and sew them together, then go buy another cutter and /or blades. OR sew pieces together and make a crazy quilt.

After a long break, I too tried to get back into it. So I straightened the sewing room (now I can't find a thing), Changed the needle in the sewing machine, put a new blade in the cutter, bought a new cutting mat (tried a different color mat, like that was going to make me cut straighter), fabrics ironed and ready to go.....WHAM I had put the cutter back together wrong, finally figured how it should go back together after a really long time I might add. Cut a few pieces on my new mat that is blinding to me instead of helpful, all set to sew and the needle was in wrong, not threaded right...so I broke a needle in the birds nest underneath my fabric...WHEWWW...I was over it!!! Instead I just put on my big girl pants and went after it again and it is all good now. The whole point of this is I am the Queen of Mistakes, I just try not to let that stop me. It is very hard, frustrating but I think if you stay with it you remember your mistakes and avoid them. When you take a long break....it is mistake time again.

Take your rotary cutter to you local quilt shop and ask someone to look at it. I bet you put it together wrong. Or, spend a few bucks and buy a new one. You said it's been a while since you've sewed. Maybe your rotary cutter is out of date and a new one is just what you need. A new one with a new blade will make all the difference in the world. And it will be less than $20. Go for it! Also, google "how to put a rotary cutter together" and see what pops up. Someone had a site on here recently.

Sounds like some great advice!! Good luck! Let u's know how it goes!

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!

Also, if you mat is bad, you won't be able to cut. Is is grooved from use or really dried out??

Once you get back into quilt making, don't stop. I never take a break, I just keep on going.

Just jump in there and quilt away!

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.

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!!

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!

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.

I love the June Taylor Shape Cut!

You said you bought a blade sharpener - that may have been your big mistake. I have a couple of them, and I don't find them to really sharpen anything, but the makers pockets! I do like where someone said to take the cutter to the LQS and have them take a look. You just may need a new blade and you will be all set!
Good luck and let us know!

Are you remembering to expose the blade when you are going to cut? I forget to do do that occasionally.

I'm glad you figured out the rotary cutter problem! When I take mine apart, I lay each part on a towel in the direction it came off the cutter. Then, it is easy for me to put it back together. Best wishes in making progress on your quilts.

Are we related? Ditto.

I feel your pain! I had two surgeries a few months apart that curtailed my sewing and I CANNOT get back in the groove. I don't know what it's going to take to get me motivated again. Dithering sums me up too!

Believe it or not, that is how I started out!

Run, don't walk, to your nearest LQS and take a class. There are so many teachers out there willing to help. You can get help with your rotary cutter (a small thing to fix) and get the motivation to get back to work. Good luck!

new2q are you sure you are not me, what you wrote is what i go through all the time HAHA!!

wizkid what size of cutter do you have, I have 3 diffrent sizes, the not cutting part i agree with the others is the blade sharp, is it clean (sometimes fabric dust gets behind my blades) I take my blades cutters apart and sharpen and clean them. Also some of my cutters have safteys on them make sure that is off. Hang in their and keep trying. you will be quilting in no time

I agree about the cutter probably not being put together right, but as to the other problem, our quilt guild just had a most inspiring speaker, Lynn Roddy Brown. She said something that made an impression on me, using a term from economics: "Value Added". For a quilter it means that if you make something from your fabric, even if it is not a finished quilt for the time being, you are adding value. On her website she has at least one quilt that sat around unfinished for 5 years waiting for just the right inspiration for the border. She says she doesn't let that kind of delay bother her because she is completing other quilts during that time. She recommended just making blocks that make you happy, even if all you do for awhile is stock-pile them. If you make blocks that occur in many different quilts, such as half square triangles or 4-patches, you will eventually have a bunch of blocks to play with and or swap with others for more variety. Maybe you will be inspired to make a quilt or maybe you will leave them behind some day, but they're worth more than a pile of fabric. Also, if you have a lot of scraps you could spend your fallow time cutting them into squares and strips of various sizes that you can later just pick up and sew, as described by Bonnie Hunter at quiltville.com. If you would rather practice machine quilting instead of cutting and planning, possibly your guild will have pieced tops for charity that are just begging for completion, as our guild does.

Another idea is using scraps to try foundation paper piecing, English paper piecing, or the method described on Cynthia England's website http://www.englanddesign.com/ (no rotary cutter needed). She has a couple of free patterns to experiment with.

You don't say where you are located, but many towns and cities have guilds and shops that offer opportunities to take
classes, share ideas and inspirations with other quilters, and use your quilting talents to do charity work.

Another thought.....are you left-handed? It makes a difference in how you cut and the rotary cutter has to be in the right position against the ruler.

I use both rotary cutters and sissors whichever mood strikes me our grandparents were okay so we should be too look at the beautiful quilts they made and never heard of a rotary cutter slow down world

I put my rotary cutter back together wrong once, couldn't get it to cut worth a darn. I took it back apart and tried putting it together again several times until finally figured how it went. I had put the blade on the wrong side of the handle. They should have a giant sign that says "blade goes here" maybe with a diagram too..

Do you have any scraps laying around? maybe you can play with some scrappy ideas like making crumb blocks. I absolutely love making crumb blocks from my scraps-well until they drive me crazy. http://quiltville.com/crumbs.shtml

I don't have any problems getting started with my scraps. I can randomly sew those puppies all day long.

Do you live in an area that has a strong charity quilting group? or a guild? Sometimes just being around other quilters is enough to get the creative juices flowing.
Or how about requesting a kit from this group http://www.quiltsforkids.org/patterns/request/ It's already cut out, you just have to sew the top, you have to supply the batting, quilt it and then mail it back to them.

Good luck

I read on the board a while back, that some have had problems with 2 blades sticking together. You might check. It is worth a try.

I've learned that when my rotary cutter does not cut properly it is usually either that I am not holding it straight--the blade should be perpendicular to the fabric, and it's so easy to get it slanted instead--or I am pressing too hard on the ruler instead of the cutter, trying to make the ruler not slip. I'm doing better since I got the Martelli cutter and an Omnigrip ruler. The suction-cup gripper (from Harbor Freight) for rulers has helped also.