gale

This. I LOVE my bloc loc ruler. i only have the 6.5" and it's fine for me for now but I'll probably get the 9" too. No rocking. I have a fiskars rotating mat that is useless so I got the martelli and it's much nicer.

annie123

I totally agree. I thing the rotating mat was an excellent buy you won't regret. the Bloc Loc rulers really do work well.

Becky's Crafts

I have the small 8 inch rotating mat I got on sale for $10.00 a year or two ago & I love it! Use it a lot to trim my paper pieced sections and small patches. It's much easier to trim this work by just turning the mat instead of fighting with all the loose little pieces every time you need to trim another side!

fayzer

I use my rotating mat for many things. I love to sit and cut quilt blocks on my rotating mat.

running1

I'm coming late to this dance... but I love my rotating mat! I, too, had a short learning curve, but I use it a lot now! will be checking out the video that is mentioned...

DOTTYMO

thank you everyone who made a comment. In a few weeks I will be squaring up 25 blocks for my delft quilt I was not looking forward to it. Since reading this thread I have purchased a small rotating board. I do have a larger one which is too heavy to transport I purchased it 6 years ago. Looking on amazon found a 14 inch square board great.

so thank you everyone for your comments and making me look at what sizes they do nowadays. Local small shops in my area don't supply a choice but amazon is great.

mckwilter

I use the Eleanor Burns triangle square up to square my HSTs. Before you press the HST open, you lay the marking for the unfinished size on the seam of the triangle, then trim two sides. Then you press the HSTs open. I lay the HST at an angle so it is less awkward to cut both sides, but that way, you don't need a rotating mat.

sval

Update on rotating mat and BlocLoc ruler: The ruler is absolutely wonderful. I bought the 6.5. I think it will be very useful.
I started trimming my blocks and was in hog heaven. Until I started smelling the mat again. I thought the smell was gone. But as I started trimming on it, it oozed vapors.
What to do with it?
It really is wonderful, but I can't stand the smell.
The BlocLoc is pretty great all by itself. Might have to return the stinkin' mat.
SVAL

gale

How long have you had the mat? I had to leave my martelli rotating mat in the garage for about 2 weeks. It was so stinky. I'm very sensitive to smells so I can't deal with a smelly mat in my sewing room.

sval

I've had it a couple weeks. I soaked it in vinegar when I first got it and then put it outside. Then left it in another room for awhile. It finally got to the point I could stand to have it in the same room. I thought it was going to behave. I hadn't used it though. So today I started trimming on it. My throat started to feel funny and my eyes were watering. I thought allergies. Then I left the room and came back. What a stench! Can't imagine what's in these things!!!
Fortunately the receipt is hanging on my wall.
I, too, am sensitive to smells. But anyone would mind these mats.
I love what you can do with it. But not if it keeps stinking. It's going back to HL if it doesn't get it's act together.
SVAL