I teach hand quilting at the YMCA senior center...one of the ladies is having trouble with roter blade cutting...she just skims across the top..we have tried different cutters... different sides of the table ..changd the blade from right to lefy.. and the list goes on.....uggggg...i don't know what else to do....any sugestions....PLEASE....

I don't think the problem is her being left handed. It seems that she is afraid of cutting. Either afraid of cutting herself or maybe she feels she doesn't need to apply any force.

I am left handed and have no problems with the cutting. It doesn't make any difference with a cutter what hand you use. If she is skimming over the top she isn't putting enough preasure on the blade.

I'm left & right handed (ambidextrous (sp?)) & switch back & forth. Only time I don't get a good cut is when I don't apply the right amount of pressure...& I've done this no matter which hand I happen to be using to hold the rotary cutter.

From what I can tell she is pressing down... I think she is afraid she will mess up...

try getting her a glove for cutting she made be scared of cutting herself.. I have seen on the Fonz and Porter Pbs show.. Maryanne Fonz uses it all the time I think it is called a klutz glove I wished I had one

Chris

In a class I attended the teacher showed us how to drive the cutter. Most of us push it forward at an angle. Driving it is holding the cutter in a more upright position which gives you more pressure. I've found this really works for me.

Would helping her cut... with your hand over hers... help her to see how much pressure she needs to apply or does she have arthritis and maybe is unable to hold the cutter tight enough?

how does she cut pizza?? tell her to think of the fabric as pizza and the rotary cutter as her pizza cutter.

I'm also a lefty and I've never had trouble using a rotary cutter. Have you tried to use her cutter? I'm wondering if there might be something wrong with her cutter.

ggood idea

yes i have used hers......it works good......

I agree with Maride. I am a lefty and any of the things you have done should work.

A trick my LQS owner taught this lefty: Right-handed quilters measure and cut from the left side of the fabric - makes sense. But, for a lefty it is hard to see where I am cutting. Sometimes I measure the fabric and I go around the other side of the board to cut my fabric because I am visual and have to see with my own eyes. So, she taught me to cut from right side of the fabric, measure, line up and cut. I was more confident because I could see where I was cutting. I know it may not sound like a big deal, but it was an "AHA" moment for me.

I'm a lefty too :)

If there is a fear of cutting herself.. and the klutz glove isn't feasible, she could try the suction cup handles.
Her hands will definitely be out of the way.

Without physically seeing it myself..
I'm in agreement with others.. not enough pressure.
Perhaps her positioning over the cutting surface doesn't give her the proper angle to apply adequate pressure?

I hope she's able to find a comfortable way to successfully cut her fabric!

I am left handed, but cut with right hand (with scissors). With my rotary cutter, I find I cut from the right side of the ruler more comfortably, having the bulk of fabric on my left, because I can see what I'm doing better. It gives me more confidence for a better cut. However, sometimes my ruler will get in my way because I usually use my 24" ruler for cutting & no real room to work here. If the whole ruler didn't come in so handy, I'd think about hacking it off to an 18" length.

I'm like you in that I'm left-handed, but use scissors with my right hand.. I think that was a self-defense/adaptive mechanism as left handed scissors were few and far between when I was growing up!

As for the rotary cutter.. I've never felt comfortable right-handed... go figure!

I bought a Martelli left handed cutter at the Houston Festival this year and absolutely LOVE it.
It is MUCH easier too apply pressure without strain.

Another lefty here. I don't cut at an angle, but rather, hold the cutter straight up. Works for me.

I've been looking at them too. I've "grazed" my right hand tooooooo often. The only thing is, they're $25! That's a lot IMHO.

I agree, she needs to learn how to hold the rotary cutter and apply pressure both. Since safety is another possible concern of hers, it might also be the type of rotary cutter she is using. Many friends love the Martelli rotary cutter. It doesn't seem as dangerous and is easier to cut with.

How does she h old the ruler while she is cutting?

just saying.

ali