Considering an Accuquilt
08-21-2025, 06:14 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Virginia
Posts: 295
Considering an Accuquilt
Those of you who have an Accuquilt fabric cutter, what was the factor that made you decide to get one? Are you glad you bought it? Downsides? I'm experiencing increasing arthritis in my shoulder and hand and am finding my rotary cutting sessions need to be shortened. I'm rather horrified at the price of the machine and dies, and also realize there would be times when I'd have to use the rotary cutter anyway, such as cutting a piece from yardage to feed into the machine, and also cutting up strings left over from the waste. Thank you for any feedback on this.
08-22-2025, 02:19 AM
#2
Administrator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southeast Georgia, USA
Posts: 9,300
i have the studio cutter. i don't regret buying it but don't use it as often as i thought i would.
the upside? it will cut through 8 layers of good fabric. there is a decent selection of shapes and sizes.
i have made 3 double wedding ring quilts and cut the pieces for a friend to make hers. i doubt i'd ever have made a DWR bigger than a table runner if i'd had to cut those pieces by hand.
as i get older [and older, and older, and ...] even though pushing the fabric and die through the roller is work, it's better than standing for ages and cutting everything by hand.
downside? price and weight. the cutter is very heavy so needs its own, permanent location in your work area. the dies are made mostly of wood so the bigger ones are pretty hefty, too.
the Go cutters are lighter, but you're lucky if you can get a clean cut on as many as four layers. otherwise the upsides are the same for any of the cutter or die models. the are also expensive - as are the dies.
a Go cutter cannot use studio dies, but there are adapter boards that enable you to use the go dies on the studio cutter.
my friend bought the electric model and loves it. i confess, if the electric cutter had been available when i bought mine i'd have gotten that one even though it would mean cutting fewer pieces at a time,
first question to ask yourself is whether the cutter and dies fit into your budget. the go through the selection of dies and try to think objectively about how often you'd use it. we can offer you all sorts of opinions and advice but only you know whether you'd be "just buying" it to rarely use or investing in it to save time and effort over the long haul.
the upside? it will cut through 8 layers of good fabric. there is a decent selection of shapes and sizes.
i have made 3 double wedding ring quilts and cut the pieces for a friend to make hers. i doubt i'd ever have made a DWR bigger than a table runner if i'd had to cut those pieces by hand.
as i get older [and older, and older, and ...] even though pushing the fabric and die through the roller is work, it's better than standing for ages and cutting everything by hand.
downside? price and weight. the cutter is very heavy so needs its own, permanent location in your work area. the dies are made mostly of wood so the bigger ones are pretty hefty, too.
the Go cutters are lighter, but you're lucky if you can get a clean cut on as many as four layers. otherwise the upsides are the same for any of the cutter or die models. the are also expensive - as are the dies.
a Go cutter cannot use studio dies, but there are adapter boards that enable you to use the go dies on the studio cutter.
my friend bought the electric model and loves it. i confess, if the electric cutter had been available when i bought mine i'd have gotten that one even though it would mean cutting fewer pieces at a time,
first question to ask yourself is whether the cutter and dies fit into your budget. the go through the selection of dies and try to think objectively about how often you'd use it. we can offer you all sorts of opinions and advice but only you know whether you'd be "just buying" it to rarely use or investing in it to save time and effort over the long haul.
__________________
- necessity is the mother of invention. lazy is the crazy aunt.
08-22-2025, 02:39 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,426
I have a Go Baby which is manual. I rarely use it because most things I sew aren't the exact size of my dies. I did find it very handy when making the Hunter's Star, though I gave that die away after I made the quilt. I got it because I have wrist issues, but I find that if I replace my rotary cutter blades I do just fine. I keep thinking of selling my Go Baby but hang onto it just in case.
08-22-2025, 04:30 AM
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 17,810
I've had the manual Go ever since it first was sold. It is still working great. The dies I use the most are the strip and hst ones. I like the Block on Board dies. The machines are on sale today. Also Quilt in a Day always has free shipping on the dies.
08-22-2025, 06:20 AM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,603
I love my Accuquilt GO Big Electric cutter. It was either that or stop quilting because my back would no longer allow rotary cutting, so the cost did not deter me. I don't use a rotary cutter to cut pieces from yardage, I use a scissor, because those pieces don't need to be exact.
I think this would be impractical if you don't have a dedicated table to set it up on, because it is so heavy. The dies don't always cut perfectly, so I often have to cut a thread after the shape has been cut. You also have to pick out threads that get stuck in junctures on the dies. But from my perspective, this is just routine stuff you get used to.
The fabric waste was a real shocker at first, but I was never that upset about wasting fabric so it no longer fazes me. I just want to quilt, so I accept whatever is necessary with the fabric cutter.
I think this would be impractical if you don't have a dedicated table to set it up on, because it is so heavy. The dies don't always cut perfectly, so I often have to cut a thread after the shape has been cut. You also have to pick out threads that get stuck in junctures on the dies. But from my perspective, this is just routine stuff you get used to.
The fabric waste was a real shocker at first, but I was never that upset about wasting fabric so it no longer fazes me. I just want to quilt, so I accept whatever is necessary with the fabric cutter.
08-22-2025, 07:22 AM
#6
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 17,810
Fabric waste? I never have more then 1/4" waste around the die shape. Never cut to fit the die, only the die shape.
Another tip: the die shape has to be covered with the mat, not the whole die if you are only cutting part of the die shapes. No use putting wear on a mat when it's not cutting anything.
Another tip: the die shape has to be covered with the mat, not the whole die if you are only cutting part of the die shapes. No use putting wear on a mat when it's not cutting anything.
08-22-2025, 07:59 AM
#7
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Eastern Iowa
Posts: 20
I have a Go Baby & a couple of Qube sets and some BOB dies. I don't use it nearly as often as I thought I would, as I prefer scrappy quilts. So time saved by the actual cutting is often offset by doing more fabric preparation for the dies. I do like it for cutting curved patches like apple core, drunkard's path, clam shells, etc. or for blocks with odd angles that are not found on rulers. For simple shapes like squares, rectangles, or strips I find it faster to use a ruler and rotary cutter.
With the cutter, you still need to prep fabric to fit the die. For scrappy quilts or non-reversible shapes each fabric must be cut to fit the die, for non-scrappy or if the die shape is reversible, cut a strip WOF and fan fold. Yes, there is a bit of waste, but if it really bothers, quite often those little bits can be used to make small HST blocks or strip blocks. Another thing to consider is that sometimes a seam is added to avoid having y-seams in a finished block, or in place of using a flippy corner. IMHO it's faster to make HST or hourglass blocks by using those sew-then-cut methods than cut a bunch of triangles and sew those together. As to the applique dies, they are cute, but unless you making quilts to sell or selling kits of die cut patches, how often will those dies be used? All that said, there are some BOB dies that make me wish I had a larger cutter - crossed canoes for example.
And since you are battling arthritis, I will also say hand-cranking the dies through does take some effort, so I'd suggest really looking at the electric version.
My advice on buying - consider carefully what shapes you use most often. If you use a lot of a certain size shape consider buying the dies for those and not the Qube as with the Qube, you cut fewer of each shape. There are quite a few quilters that use only the strip dies and can cut a boat load of squares in one pass with them. Check the BOB dies finished sizes, especially if you want to combine 2 or more in 1 quilt.
If you do get a cutter, pay attention to your fabric grain as it goes into the cutter. There is pressure on the die and it can stretch the fabric a bit as it rolls through. Some fabrics are worse than others - put those right next to the die if possible, there's a bit less chance of stretching there. Besides the cost of the dies, you will also need to replace the cutting mats over time. After running the fabric through the cutter - do NOT pick up the mat, static will cause the fabric to stick to it. Instead, pet the mat a couple of times and slide it off. You can find the picks to clean the dies far less expensive at the hardware store. Never leave the die on a table cutting side up - those blades are Sharp if someone happens to lean on them. There are some good videos about using the dies, not just those at Accuquilt.
A possible option to try before you buy - check nearby libraries if they have a cutter that can be used. Some are getting quite creative with offering things besides books and DVDs to increase people coming in. I've seen everything from cake pans available for checkout to 3-d printers to use at the library. And I know of 1 quilt shop that has a Studio cutter set up, and if you buy fabric, you can use it free for a short time (1/2 to 1 hour?), otherwise you pay to use it if you bring in fabric or need longer time.
With the cutter, you still need to prep fabric to fit the die. For scrappy quilts or non-reversible shapes each fabric must be cut to fit the die, for non-scrappy or if the die shape is reversible, cut a strip WOF and fan fold. Yes, there is a bit of waste, but if it really bothers, quite often those little bits can be used to make small HST blocks or strip blocks. Another thing to consider is that sometimes a seam is added to avoid having y-seams in a finished block, or in place of using a flippy corner. IMHO it's faster to make HST or hourglass blocks by using those sew-then-cut methods than cut a bunch of triangles and sew those together. As to the applique dies, they are cute, but unless you making quilts to sell or selling kits of die cut patches, how often will those dies be used? All that said, there are some BOB dies that make me wish I had a larger cutter - crossed canoes for example.
And since you are battling arthritis, I will also say hand-cranking the dies through does take some effort, so I'd suggest really looking at the electric version.
My advice on buying - consider carefully what shapes you use most often. If you use a lot of a certain size shape consider buying the dies for those and not the Qube as with the Qube, you cut fewer of each shape. There are quite a few quilters that use only the strip dies and can cut a boat load of squares in one pass with them. Check the BOB dies finished sizes, especially if you want to combine 2 or more in 1 quilt.
If you do get a cutter, pay attention to your fabric grain as it goes into the cutter. There is pressure on the die and it can stretch the fabric a bit as it rolls through. Some fabrics are worse than others - put those right next to the die if possible, there's a bit less chance of stretching there. Besides the cost of the dies, you will also need to replace the cutting mats over time. After running the fabric through the cutter - do NOT pick up the mat, static will cause the fabric to stick to it. Instead, pet the mat a couple of times and slide it off. You can find the picks to clean the dies far less expensive at the hardware store. Never leave the die on a table cutting side up - those blades are Sharp if someone happens to lean on them. There are some good videos about using the dies, not just those at Accuquilt.
A possible option to try before you buy - check nearby libraries if they have a cutter that can be used. Some are getting quite creative with offering things besides books and DVDs to increase people coming in. I've seen everything from cake pans available for checkout to 3-d printers to use at the library. And I know of 1 quilt shop that has a Studio cutter set up, and if you buy fabric, you can use it free for a short time (1/2 to 1 hour?), otherwise you pay to use it if you bring in fabric or need longer time.
08-22-2025, 11:15 AM
#8
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 17,810
With the cutter, you still need to prep fabric to fit the die.
I never fit the die with fabric, only the die shapes. I measure the width and length of the shape and cut my fabric to be 1/2" bigger. I write with silver sharpie the size of fabric I need on the die foam. Saves me a lot of time. For BOB dies when all the shapes are on the die I fit the fabric to cover the shapes usually in a square or rectangle. I do heavily starch my fabric before cutting to stop any distortion due to stretching especially when cutting six layers at a time.
I never fit the die with fabric, only the die shapes. I measure the width and length of the shape and cut my fabric to be 1/2" bigger. I write with silver sharpie the size of fabric I need on the die foam. Saves me a lot of time. For BOB dies when all the shapes are on the die I fit the fabric to cover the shapes usually in a square or rectangle. I do heavily starch my fabric before cutting to stop any distortion due to stretching especially when cutting six layers at a time.
08-22-2025, 09:25 PM
#9
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,559
I have the Studio 2, and as said before, it is very heavy and requires a dedicated space for the cutter and for the dies. I bought a large selection of strip dies and don't need or want any others. I use my system a lot. If I need squares or rectangles I cut the strips and then turn them 90 degrees and cut again. I can even cut triangles by rotating the squares so opposing corners are along the cutting line. There is a little fabric waste, but I don't think it's any worse than I had when the ruler would slip and a strip would be cut wrong, or when I would need to square up the cut every few strips. And it's a huge time saver!
