It turns out I really LIKE cutting fabric
 

I have been "sort of" interested in the Go! and similar cutters, because I love gadgets and I don't have them yet.

But yesterday I was cutting fabric for a couple new quilts and I realized that I actually really enjoy the cutting stage (as long as I'm not making mistakes!). I enjoy figuring out the geometry of each block and how to cut the fabric in the least wasteful way. I think there is something therapeutic about putting neat little stacks of perfectly sliced fabric together, counting them all up, and ticking them off of my cutting list. I feel like I've accomplished something by converting raw yardage into all these neat little bits and pieces. I get excited watching the stacks grow, because after cutting comes laying out the quilt, and that's a really fun step too. That's when I actually get to see if my color choices are going to work, and get a feel for how the finished quilt is going to be.

Now if only I could find a way to enjoy basting quilts, I'd be totally set!

I enjoy the cutting process, too. I even enjoy cutting my small scraps into straight edged pieces to use for crumb quilts. I think it's because I get to touch and play with the fabrics. Sort of theraputic.

I use to enjoy going down to my former LQS and pin baste my quilts there. I would see friends stop by and it just made a tedious task more enjoyable being able to take breaks and look at all the new fabrics, patterns and notions. :)

I am a member of a local "Bee" called "Kalico Kwilters" and I am positive it is one of a kind. It is so much fun and there are usually about 30 or more ladies on Wednesdays. We have 4 quilts being hand quilted at all times and another nice thing is we put together the tops, batting and back and baste for any of us that want to quilt at home. It is so much fun and there is just one firm rule...no one can talk bad about anyone. What a wonderful and delightful place. No wonder Wednesday is probably my favorite day!!!

I enjoy the cutting also.I just cut almost 100 yds of fabric into 5 inch and 2.5 inch strips for log cabins and who knows what else,maybe charms too

I don't have an Accucut or other die cutter, but I suspect that they can be really wasteful. If you're the type who likes to figure out how to minimize waste, you'll certainly be happier cutting the way you do it now.

I don't know the solution for basting because I like basting!

I, too, love cutting. Organization out of chaos. :)

I do glue basting, so I don't mind that, but the wrestling to create a quilt sandwich on a too-small surface, I could do without.

I, too, love cutting the fabric for a quilt. I have quite a few quilts all cut out, waiting for me to finish them. Bad thing I found - one of the quilts I have all cut out doesn't have the pattern with it. Oh no!! It was in a magazine and I have a lot of magazines to go through to find it. It wasn't on the cover - no, that'd be too easy. But I am going to give it a shot and one day look through the table of contents in all my magazines that I organized. The other ton of mags that I didn't organize, I'm positive it's not in those. So, keep your pattern with your cut fabric!! See, I like cutting so much that I cut a few at a time. Good and bad for me.

There are videos for basting on a small surface.

I like cutting too. I have two fold out tables that I set up side by side that I use for everything. Sandwiching, design, cutting. I can just fold them up and put 'em away when I need to. Of course, that all happens in the living room as I don't have the space in my sewing room. I pretty much take over the whole house. You have to be a special guest in order for me to clear the area.

I like cutting the strips and pieces needed for a quilt. I use my cutter for applique shapes.

I took two saw horses and a big slab of chip board and viola a lay out surface. Put some contact paper over it and it's slippery but not too much. Can be put away when not in use. My saw horses fold up and the chip board sits on the wall.

I too love the cutting process. At this time, I personally see no reason to invest in one of those fancy cutters. I'd rather spend my money on fabrics, and cut them with less waste.

I am lucky in that I have keys (or DH does) to the church and since it is only a block away, I sandwich all my quilts there on the tables. Most of the time I save my sandwiching when we have a "UFO" weekend and my friends will all help me sandwich and spray baste my quilts.

I'll love the cutting process. I find it relaxing and a nice gentle start to a project and like you I like to use very morsel f my fabrics.

I enjoy the cutting also. And like you jcrow, I have some really pretty fabrics all cut out, and a ton of HST all sewn and have no idea what book it came from. Hopefully it's not one I got rid of in one of my cleaning out fazes! Oh well, some day I'll run across it....

Well that's wonderful that you find joy in that part of the process! Personally, it's not my favorite part of making the quilt. I really enjoy the designing, sewing, and FMQ. The rest is a necessary evil! I wish I could pay or bribe someone to do the cutting and sandwiching. I tried to get my DH to do it, but he wants no part of it!

I have a stack of Rubbermaid 16 qt containers that I use for "quilt kits". As soon as I have a pattern (usually my own design; or something I re-created on graph paper or in EQ7) it goes in there; as I accumulate fabric for that quilt it goes in there, as soon as I cut fabrics I label them with post-it notes as to what part they are and those go in there...if I buy special thread or a special ruler, that goes in there... Since I usually have at least a dozen quilts "in progress" to some degree or another it's just about the only way I can stay organized!!

Basting is the bane of my quilting life. I have no space, so I end up sliding all my furniture around and taping everything down to the living room floor. Which is horrible, I'm not as young as I used to be and neither are my knees!! I have a new technique I'm going to try on my next quilt, though, I saw it on a Leah Day Craftsy class; using folding tables and lengths of elastic. If that works, I will be SO HAPPY, but I have a King Size quilt that is next in line for quilting so that's going to be interesting; will have to do it in sections. I am TRYING to get in touch with a local guild, I need quilting buddies and access to large spaces and the guild has both of those things! But they won't answer my email and I'm a coward about just showing up unannounced. Silly, yes, but that's just how I am!!

Ditto! I,m pretty new in cutting but is really therapeutic, while deconstruct the stress decrease and l enjoy it. Me too love the gadgets and the Go! Is very attractive but..... the june taylor,s shape cut is fantastic! And really fast.

I use the shape cut rulers too, and you're 100% correct, I love those things!! I have several sizes but the one I use the MOST by far is the 2-1/2 strip cutter. I have been making my own "jelly rolls" and "layer cakes" with it and it's probably saved me hundreds of dollars compared to buying them pre-cut. Plus I can cut them from pre-washed fabric and not have any worries about shrinkage or bleeding. Bonus on top of bonus!

Does your bee just do hand quilting? I live near yorkville, but not looking for just hand quilting.....

I remember the first quilt I made using only quilt shop fabrics. The stress of making the first cuts was terrible! I stood downstairs at my cutting area literally sweating those first cuts. Now that I'm more experienced, I'm not so nervous, but I still don't like cutting from a kit. If I make a mistake, there isn't enough fabric to fix it, and the fabric lines are likely long gone from my LQS. I prefer to purchase the yardage in my color choices and make the quilt 'my own'.
For basting, I lay out my quilt top, batting and back, aligning the marked centers, pin along the middle and then fold back the layers to spray baste, one side at a time, then remove the pins and do the other half. It works especially well on a folding banquet style table.

I like variety so I cut some, piece some, cut some more etc. I can't imagine cutting 100 yards of fabric at one time like someone earlier did. I will collect fabric for a project over time but don't cut it until I'm ready to make the quilt. It would stress me out to have unfinished projects so I may work on a few small projects at once I've never had more than one quilt in process at once. I don't mind sandwiching since I started using glue. You can do it in stages on a small surface. By putting the batting down first it stays put and so there is no taping. I put the glue on the batting and then put the quilt back on top of that and smooth it down. When it's dry I flip it over, put the glue on the batting again and then lay the quilt top over that and smooth it down. I used to dread the sandwiching process but not any more.

I too love to cut fabric by hand although I do have a Accucut which I use also.

I can relate to the pleasure you find in cutting because I did, too.....for my first few quilts. I think it was the precision of it that appealed to me...the control, to a control freak like me, was satisfying. I don't enjoy it as much now, when I'm more anxious to just "get on with it" -- the piecing, I mean. But I do understand!

I just got the Go, and think I made a mistake, as cutting didn't bother me. I bought the 2.5" square die, and the 2.5" strip die. I bought it, as I don't have enough time, and thought it would speed up things so I could sew. I haven't been wasting much fabric, as I think of the best ways to cut, and I use scraps in scrap quilts. I also use 1.5" squares to swap, and any strips over 1.5" for string quilts..

I am another one who really enjoys the process of cutting. I have 3 June Taylor shape cutters and they speed the process. Today, I finished a quilt that called for templates. I cut the templates from an old cutting mat and they were great. I was able to get the fabric shapes cut perfectly. When I made templates from template plastic, I was always cutting into them and having to re make the templates. I do heavily starch my fabric before cutting. Now, if only I could learn to enjoy making a quilt sandwich.

I feel the same way - the cutting machines did not appeal to me either, but for Christmas I got a "quilt-cut 2" - it allows me to still cut, but improves my accuracy 100%, the fabric and the ruler are held down firmly, love it and don't know how I cut before I had it.....

Ohh, that's a clever idea! I even have an old Olfa mat that has been too abused to recover. I wondered why I was saving it....

I just spent all day cutting scraps--I love doing it. Order out of chaos! :)