What dies would you use for your quilts?
I have the electric-big and the baby cutters. I love the convenience of cutting multiple pieces quickly. Plus it limits my exposure to the rotary cutter and cuts off the points for easier piecing so quite "worth" it.
My first purchase was 8 dies that make 72 different blocks before the qubes were available. Over the years, I have added the different sized qubes when they are on sale. The strip dies are time-savers for making cuts and then cross cuts of pieces. Easy bias binding too.
Yes, mats match the size of the die and they need to be replaced with use. I twist, turn, and flip the mat to get a few more cuts from them. You can use a smaller mat if you are only cutting one shape on a die. The die area won't cut without a mat over it. Example would be applique shapes or multi-shape dies.
Always cut with the die label facing you as you put it through the machine. Good luck!