What would you do?
 

Hi everyone! I sort of have a delima and was wondering what others would do. About 4 years ago I went to a quilt show and purchased a large purple cutting mat and several rotary cutters. The other day I was so frustrated that some of my blocks were coming out a little smaller or larger but not much. So as I am starring at the cutting mat with my ruler laying on it I noticed that the inches didn't match up to the inches on my ruler! I then started checking the rulers inch to the mats inch and low and behold they didn't match as I traveled around the Mat checking for accuracy. No wonder I have had trouble with blocks being off! My delima is: should I contact the company who made the mat (which I won't mention the name on the board here cause I don't know if that's appropriate)! Or should I just let it go. I have taken really good care of the mat, always covered it and never let the sunshine hit it so I can't believe it's anything I did. I know it's four years old but I would never guess that such a large and expensive mat would skew! What would you all do? Let it go, as they say which I could but I worry about new quilters having the same issues! Plus now what good is mat? Yes I can use it as a straight line marker but in making blocks I can't trust the accuracy. I know I used all sides of the mat when I cut so maybe that's why my blocks weren't always exact. I asked a quilter about this and her answer was that she never uses the mat to cut her pieces. I was to embarrassed to ask how she cut her pieces but maybe there is something I should know about cutting pieces other than how I cut my pieces is by ruler and mat working together! Anyone have any input?

I only use the lines on the mat, to line up my fabrics. I never use them as measurements. That is what my ruler is for. Since the mat is 4 years old, I do not think you will get any financial satisfaction from the company. You could try emailing them but I don't think it will do much good.

Always use the mat under the fabric, but measure with your ruler.

Totally agree with auntmag.

It's not anything you did to the mat and I'm sure it didn't "skew". Mats are not reliable for making accurate blocks. When I first started quilting, I also had a ruler that was not accurate - not good!

If you tell us how you're using the mat to measure, we can help you out with a more accurate way of doing what you're doing. You should always go by the ruler.

Even though it's been four years, I would definitely contact the company that produced the mat. Just tell them the problem, as you've explained it to us. Anything that's sold with marked measurements, is bought under the assumption that those measurements are correct. If the measurements are noticeably off, then the mat is defective.

That said, I also use a ruler for my final measuring. Although my own (Olfa) mat has proven to be accurate enough, my habit of measuring from the exact same center point of each line, is not. :p

I used my June Tailor Shape Cut ruler, for accurate blocks. http://www.junetailor.com/shapecutvideo.htm

I will mention names. One of my June Tailor rulers is off---------I was so frustrated by the time I found the problem that I was ready to cry. So, NOW whatever brand I use, I use it across the board.

i only use my mat for lining up straight lines. i rely on my laser marked ruler for accuracy. i certainly wouldn't hurt to provide feedback to the company.

I was told when I started quilting that the mat lines are just guidelines and very few are precise for accurate measurements and never change brand of rulers when cutting out a quilt pattern. I read an article some years ago that the mat lines are stamped on the mat so many variables can happen to make the lines a smidgen off.

I used to cut fabric the way I think you are doing: you lay the fabric across the mat, with the cutting edge to your right and the bulk of the rest of the fabric folded on your left, slide the ruler on top of the fabric to your left until you have the right strip width and then cut your fabric on the right side of the ruler with the strip to the right of your ruler and the rest of the fabric under the ruler and to your left. You have to use the lines on the mat to do it this way, and you are simply using your ruler as a straight edge for the rotary cutter. Then one day I was watching a quilting video and the presenter cut a different way--using the ruler as the measure of the strip width. To do it this way, you straighten the edge of your fabric the way you usually do, but then FLIP the entire length of fabric over so that the new straight edge of the fabric is on the left side of the mat and the rest of the length of the fabric is on your right. Then place your ruler on top of the fabric, and then look through your clear ruler to line up the straight edge of the fabric under your ruler to the right strip width. If you are cutting a 2 1/2" strip, the right edge of your ruler should be 2 1/2" right of the end of the fabric--the strip you are cutting is UNDER the ruler. Remove that strip and keep going down the length of the fabric to your right. With this method, you are only using the ruler lines for vertical and horizontal measurements and don't look at the mat lines at all. I hope this makes sense. I am getting much more accurate cuts now with this method, but it took me a little while to adjust to it. Here is a photo of the placement of the fabric and ruler if I was cutting a 2 1/2" strip.
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