Accuquilt Dies for Beginner Quilter
 

I'm thinking about purchasing the Accuquilt Go Fabric Cutter and would like recommendations for the most versatile and most used dies to start off with. I'm a beginner quilter.... my spare time is limited, so for a while, I will most likely be doing relatively easy quilting projects and block sizes 8" to 12" (nothing smaller for now).
Thinking about getting the Ready Set Go kit with the 8" Qube and 2.5" strip die included. Will this give me the most commonly used dies or would I be better off with a different kit or cutter & dies purchased separately?
I just want to get the most bang for my buck to start off with and have the versatility to make quite a few different projects before needing to purchase more dies. Since I'm new to quilting and don't really have a favorite size or style yet, I'm not sure what to buy.

The first set I bought was the Go Mix and Match 12" because I could make 6" or 12" and even 18" blocks. I used them a lot. I Think you would find similar flexibility with the Ready Set Go with the 8" block and all of the other go and it is a great price right now.

There are a lot of videos on utube on how to mark and use the dies. Marking the dies helps when positioning fabric and if you stiffen your fabric (I starch mine board stiff) you don't have to be as careful about grain lines (especially helpful when using scraps) and if the pieces are stiff when you sew there is less stretching.

The Qube set is a great choice to have lots of choices. I use the 2 1/2" strip die a lot. I started using Accuquilt before the Qubes so have most of the dies separate. The Qubes uses the one size mat so get several of those and buy mats when you find a sale. I have almost worn out my 8 1/2 rag die. Everyone in the family has asked for a rag quilt. Especially the teens.

As a beginning quilter, it may be hard for you to know what dies will be most useful for your quilter. I started quilting again last year after an almost 20 year hiatus.

I purchased Accuquilt Go cutter earlier this year. I got the cutter free when I spent $300. So I got the 8” Qube and the 8” Companion— Corners to spend that amount. I’m very happy with my purchase and have used almost every die from that first purchase (other than the 3” half and quarter square dies that came with the cutter) as well as another die I bought later for the projects I have worked on.

Because the 8” Qube basically makes 4” units, the Qube dies were very helpful when I worked on the 2021 Mystery Quilt from Laundry Basket Quilts, which had us making 4” units. But the Qube dies I had would not have helped at all if I was making 3” or 6” units.

To see if a Qube would be a good fit for you, you might want to download the free pattern books at Accuquilt called 72 Blocks. They have them for each size Qube plus either it’s companion — corners set or Companion — Angles set. That should give you an idea of the blocks you can make and size of the units. There are lots of other pattern downloads as well. Enjoy your quilting journey!

I like the dies that do multiples of the same shape but I make simpler quilts. I find I use my 2 1/2 , 2 and 1 1/2 strip cutters a lot. I also have used the 5 inch square die (lots of patterns call for 5 inch squares) and 2 1/2 half inch square dies a lot. I do have more sizes of the triangle dies and also 2 inch and 3.5 inch square dies. The reason I do not like the cubes as much is that those dies only make one shape? I don't have any cubes....but I think that is what I saw. Sure you can layer the fabrics....but my 2.5 inch square die cuts 9 with one pass and if I layer then 4 fabrics thick, that is 36 2.5 inch squares I can cut with one pass. Same with the strip cutters. I like the dies that cut all the strips the same width better then the die that will cut one strip of multiple sizes (OK I did get the log cabin die which my friend tells me is amazing if making a scrappy log cabin of lights and darks. I do not get many of the applique dies or dies that make a special block because I don't think I would use then enough to justify the cost.

I went a different route. I purchased the Studio 2 with all the strip dies. This is a heavy item, so it's not very portable, but I keep it set up at the end of my long cutting table. I use my cutter a lot!

Today is the last day for the spend $325 get a Me cutter free at the Accuquilt website. With the 25% off promotion, you can buy a Qube and one of its companion set (angles or corner) for about $275 (plus tax) and get the Me cutter (and an Eleanor Burns book) for free. Don’t ask why, but if you hit the $325 minimum before applying the 25% discount, you get the free item. Not cheap, but maybe a cost effective way to get started with Accuquilt.

If you’re not ready to jump, this promotion is repeated with some regularity.

I love my Accuquilt system! That said, The Set you are talking about is the most versatile which is why it is sold as it is. Having the GoMe!, if you spend a bit more, is a great addition. I love the system and there is nothing I can say bad about what I have, including the explosion of dies I have. For me there is no going back to a rotary cutter. I always say go for it and jump right in.