These cutters are super duper sharp. They are essentially wheel shaped razors. Not to mention, what your children can do to themselves if they get their hands on one. Make sure when you are cutting, that your pressure and leverage is over the top of the cutter.
You should be pushing downward, not forward. Am I making any sense here?? This helps you cut all the way through the fabric and maintain more control over the blade. And more control means fewer accidents. There are no rules as to how often it needs to be changed.
Just replace it when it stops cutting. Plain and simple. Blades are easy to replace, and as I mentioned above, the Gingher rotary cutter actually allows you to replace the blade without even touching it! Assignment for this lesson: If a rotary cutter is in your budget, go to your local sewing shop or research some rotary cutter options online and get yourself one to use for your first project.
The sizes and shapes are many, but this one is my favorite. The 45mm blade is big enough to handle multiple layers of fabric at once but not too big. The ergonomic handle allows me to hold the cutter at the perfect angle without making my wrist suffer. Whatever you do, make sure you get a rotary cutter where the blade pops out, instead of one where the guard is pushed in while cutting.
You can see what I mean below - on the right, I'm holding the guard down. Long story short, I made this mistake and fabric would get caught on the guard and move, and argh, nothing looked right. Before you ever pick up with rotary cutter, you'll want to prepare the fabric for cutting. Whether or not you prewash fabric, pressing it is a non-negotiable for accurate cuts. First, fold the fabric, so the selvage ends meet. Doing this might mean unfolding and refolding, shaking the fabric a little, etc.
The only thing that matters that the selvage edges are together and straight. Second, prep your cutting area. Lay out your cutting mat and clear the space all around it. Nothing like having toy cars or some candles just off the mat to mess up your cutting. Not that I know anything about this. Step 1 - Take your fabric piece and lay it on your cutting mat, so the raw edge is on the right side. Don't forget to match the blade size to your rotary cutter. Ideally, you should also match the brand of your replacement blade to your cutter.
Personally, I don't go through enough blades to justify a sharpener so just buy replacements instead. If you are cutting regularly, however, it will be more cost effective in the long run to purchase a sharpener. Great article! Thank you! But when it comes to sharpening rotary blades, there are no options better than having them sharpened professionally. DIY sharpening devices produce inconsistent results, usually cannot remove nicks in the blade, prematurely wear out the blade, and tend to break or wear out before becoming cost effective.
It is not expensive or difficult to have rotary blades professionally sharpened. It can drastically increase the useful life of your blade. Your email address will not be published. Share this article:. How to Use a Rotary Cutter.
Table of Contents. Like badly. I always keep my scissors handy when I need to cut notches. Rotary cutters just fail on tiny things like this. If you cut a lot of straight lines, a rotary cutter is your literal best friend. I love making bias tape with a rotary cutter. For scissors, you need to measure out items like bias tape or neckbands first with chalk.
Then you cut. Scissors will always be a slower tool to use for this reason. What you will notice with scissors, especially if you keep them wicked sharp is how well they cut curves.
Rotary cutters have a harder time rolling along a curve accurately. This is a real thing. Our cutting tools are the ones we probably use the most in the sewing room other than our machines. As such, all that repetitive motion can build up in your hands and cause pain. When it comes to rotary cutter vs. On the other hand, the angle it requires to cut with a rotary cutter can be uncomfortable for people. The fine rotary cutting makers have thought about this too.
Now there are ergonomic rotary cutters like this one from Fiskars. The adjustable angle reminds me of my favorite Wolf violin shoulder rest. This is a fun comparison.
Pinking shears are those cool scissors that cut little triangles out of your fabric. This is the easiest seam finish ever and perfect for lightweight fabrics.
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