I'm looking for suggestions please - I have arthritis in both of my thumbs, very little deformity but very, very painful from time to time. Can anyone advise me, are there any really easy to hold and use rotary cutter/scissors? - or techniques that will help me with cutting and with firmly holding the ruler in place? My finger joints are gradually stiffening and my wrist become painful as well - don't you just love this ageing process!
Thanks in advance,
Penny

There are tools to buy that grip the rulers so you can hold them like a handle. They have them at quilt stores and on line or at Lowes or homedepot. And scissors you can buy with "spring grips that you can use without putting your fingers in and having them hurt. I wish I could think of the terms for these tools. Maybe the next one who reads can help us out. And if all else fails, they sell wonderful kits already cut out and ready to go. Good prices in some stores too. For those of us who cannot cut any more. Love those precuts....Hope you get some good suggestions.

try a ruler with cutter attatched--short sessions only at each task--[cut a bit sew a bit]--longer needles straw size 11 --be very aware how tight you are holding equipment +let it loose frequently--[you can tell fellow sufferer i am --do not always take my own advice- but then suffer for it]]

Try what they call an ergonomic rotarty cutter and I know there are arth. friendly scissors. I was born with out joints at base of thmb. Just learned this a month ago- HA1

I found the rotary cutter on a slide helps because you don't have to grip it you line it up and press down and push.
do you drink lemonade, funny question i know but it can agravate arthritis cutting it out can help.
I was talikng to a gentleman who told me his arthritis was so bad he ended up seeing a specialist who told him not to drink lemonade. and it settles down, lemon drinks are fine it is just the lemonade

Martelli has an ergonomic (sp) rotary cutter and I believe its either JoAnn's (online) or Clotilde that sells one too. You can buy them for either left or right hand use. I would also make sure that I kept the blades nice and sharp so you woulnd't have to press so hard.

Lita - Love your fur baby!!!

Lita - Love your fur baby!!![/quote]

thanks she is a scottish fold long hair and is as cute as she looks

I had the basal joints in both thumbs replaced. They use your own tendons, roll them in a ball and recreate a small ball and socket type joint. My mobility is fantastic and I'm so glad I had it done because the pain was excruciating so I can very much sympathize with your pain.
I bought shears and nippers that you squeeze rather than having to put my thumbs into holes.

Do you mean drinks that contain lemon are ok but
powdered lemonade you buy is not good?

cans of fizzy lemonade, the gentleman I was talking to said his wife had a portagafe (I think that is how you spell it) (stout and lemonade) every night but she only used 1/2 a can of lemonade so he drank the other half that was when his arthritis started to get really bad, when the specialist told him to stop drinking it, it settled down again