Accuquilt GO
 

I will be purchasing the Accuquilt GO cutting machine today. In watching the videos, it seems to me that the fabric being cut had been previously cut down to small sizes before using the machine. Does anyone have any advice in this regard? Initially, I will use the die that comes with the starter kit (I plan on making a single Irish chain quilt using 2.5" squares), and I will be ordering over the next couple of months the 6.5 and 8.5 inch dies, sizes I frequently cut with my rotary cutter.

Thanks for any advice at all in regards to using the Accuquilt GO.

I generally measure the size of the cutting area...it's clearly marked on the die......then, add a little around the edge. if you watch the Eleanor Burns videos of quilts made with the Accuquilt, she generally gives the measurement of the fabric to be used which gives very little waste. Once you get the hang of it, you'll feel more comfortable making your own decisions.

say your die shape is 5.25 wide. you could cut strips 11" wide and fold in half and stack 3 folded strips. this is much less cutting that doing it without the dies

I use the manual Go. When I cut fabric to put on the die I cut it 1/2" bigger then the shape. Never cover the whole die with fabric unless it's ugly fabric and you want to get rid of it. If you can keep the lengthwise grain going along the long side of the die. This helps with less stretching of the fabric. The value die I have has many shapes on it so it's a pain to cut for one shape. I prefer all the block pieces on one die like the BOB dies. They are my favorite. One layer cake and I have a complete quilt cut in less then 20 min.

There is SOME cutting down, because it's pretty difficult to feed a yard or three into these machines. However, as you use it, you will develop techniques to improve efficiency.

People all have different strategies for managing all areas of quilting. Some feel that controlling every aspect of the process yields a better product, such as pinning every 2 -3 inches; pressing and trimming everything at each stage; cutting fabric into small enough parcels that they go through the Accuquilt machines with very little waste. There are other people who are the opposite and are very relaxed with their processes - they don't pin at all; they don't press until the top is done; and they don't worry that much about the excess fabric cut away from the dies. Neither school of thought is right or wrong; it's all a matter of personal preference and technique.

My own personal technique is to cut the fabric small enough to fit through the machines easily, but I don't make more cuts than I feel is necessary (usually I fold the fabric small enough to fit through my cutter, then cut it across once so the fabric covers the cutting area of the die, and that's it), and I don't care much about what I think is reasonable waste. If it's smaller than 2"x2", then I don't think it's worth saving.

I think on the Youtube videos they use pre-cuts to demonstrate that you can use the Go! without a lot of waste, similar to cutting with rulers. Also, it is just neat looking.

When I first got my Go! (mine is manual crank), I was very careful to cut pieces similar to the demo's, to make as little waste as possible. However, as I have gotten used to it, I no longer do nearly as much pre-cutting and accept that a little fabric waste is worth my time and energy. I think I have used fabric cuts as large as a yard; certainly half a yard works well. That is all the pre-cutting I do.

My basic method is to fold the yardage over so I have two doubled layers of fabric on the cutting template (four layers of fabric). Usually I want to cut all of the pieces on the template; however, if I want to cut only one, I carefully position the mat to cover only that one piece. Then I crank the whole thing through. It's fine to have excess fabric going under the roller. Usually I have the excess fabric positioned to one side, but you can have it spilling over on both sides of the die if you like; it's just more wasteful. It's also fine to have excess fabric running through behind the dye. If you experiment with a one-yard cut of yardage (or half a yard if one yard is too much for you), you will discover how all this works.

Actually, if I think about it, I think I get less waste by using the larger pre-cuts. If I get any more waste at all, it is very little. This is because you can position the larger fabric pieces just as you want, close to the last cuts made in the fabric.

Hope this is a little more clear than mud......

I use precuts to make cuts too. I'll lay jelly roll strips on the strip dies to make make 2 1/2 squares. Lay on wider strip die to make rectangles. I have found interesting shapes laying fabric different ways on dies. I starch very heavy if I'm going to be cutting scraps as I have no idea of the grain line.

Thank you!

Actually, this was very helpful! I think I will try 1/2 yd. cuts first. Also, I can see how fat quarters would be great, but I can't find any precuts that are bundles of one solid color. (My first project using cuts made from the starter kit die (2.5") will be a single Irish chain quilt. I have the calico I want for the print, and I want a white or cream color for the solid blocks. Thanks for your advice!

Great advice -thanks!