Dispatchgirl

Hey Annie!!! I sure hope so too! It really is the hardest part for me! I've had to scrap whole quilt blocks cuz I messed them up so bad with my crooked cutting!

Onebyone

A June Taylor Shape Cut ruler will help you get straight cuts. I got tired of all my miss cuts so I started using the Go die cut machine.

Dispatchgirl

Wow thanks tartan!

quilter2090

Purchase a June Tailor Shape Cut ruler.You will have straight cuts from here on out. Sign up for Joanne's online sales flyer's and use the coupons in them to pay far less than normally.

AnnieSue

I find I sometimes just don't have the hand/finger strength/coordination for straight rotary cutting so the AccuQuilt takes care of that for me.

Dina

I agree with this. I use my June Tailer ruler for everything. I use it for every pattern, I promise. I would not still be quilting if this ruler didn't exist. I bought one of mine at Wal-Mart and the other at Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby's 40% off coupon makes it a reasonable price. This ruler could save you lots of time.

Dina

ManiacQuilter2

I know how you prefer to learn everything on the internet, but it will help you tremendously if you find a class that is held in the evening or weekend at your LQS. Human contact really is necessary. I had a student once who couldn't get her sewing machine to work. I was shocked when I opened it up and it was chuck full of millions of dust bunnies. No one had ever told her to clean out her bobbin case or oil her machine. There is something special when someone can be watching you do something maybe just a little off and is able to correct your technique. You might want to check into watch or recording Fons & Porter or Quilt in a Day shows that are shown on PBS networks. They both have recently done shows on cutting strips. Good Luck.

Dispatchgirl

Thank you all so much for your advice. I'm going to have to look into this June Tailer cutter.

I have taken one basic sewing class and it was so great! The hard thing is a lot of quilting classes go on for a few weeks and I am a 911 dispatcher and my schedule is always rotating around the days of the week. So I sew when I can get a chance to myself. It's my stress relief lol.

Doggramma

Welcome, and happy quilting! I agree with all of the above, and another tip is to be sure to use your outer 2 or 3 fingers on your left hand to keep the ruler from shifting itself as you're cutting. Even a very slight shift causes wonky. And slow down while cutting.

justflyingin

Well, just keep asking here. A long time I heard a guy on the radio named Bruce Williams who used to talk about money. I remember someone asking about getting a degree/learning things. He mentioned/emphasized that you actually don't have to go to a class, or take a course to "learn something".

It made a big impression on me and I was just young then--You can pick up a book (this was quite a bit while before the internet) or learn by others, or of course, on the internet.

So, don't let your weird schedule frustrate you or discourage you and just keeping asking here and looking at those videos on the internet. It is about like having a private correspondence course what with all the You tube and craftsy classes. Almost anything can learned these days at your convenience---though I do think that music lessons and foreign language actually should be with a live teacher...