[Nfb-krafters-korner] Tips for using rotary cutters

[Blindhands at aol.com]

You have to use a cutting mat when using the rotary cutter.  Be sure  you 
do get one with the retractable button.  
 
They have a grid that is about 22 by 18 inches give or take and it has 2  
inches on each side and then every half inch it has a grid type piece for  
cutting.  The rotary cutter blade fits into this groove between the 2  pieces 
of thick plastic and you fold the fabric in half or more so it fits into  
the width of the guide grooves and match up edges to edges of cutting board 
and  you can cut strips of fabric the width that you want.  For quilting  
purposes you need to take your time to line everything up and hold down on this  
cutting grid to cut accurate  strips.
 
If I was going to cut fleece I would use my dress maker scissors and not  
the rotary cutter.  It is a bit thick and if you needed to cut strips you  
can do that with a good pair of scissors.Start at the fold of the fabric and  
make sure your edges are even and example: to make a 3 inch strip 
Measure 3 inche to your edge.  Now fold what you just cut down  matching 
the edges and using what you just cut as your guide and cut just the  length 
that is folded.  Refold this strip, matching edges and using the  edge that 
you just cut as your guide and cut it again.  The guide will  become longer 
and when you reach the selvage edges you will have a 3 inche wide  strip the 
length of your fabric width.  So if the fleece is 60 inches wide,  you will 
have a strip 3 invches by 60 inches.s from the edge and cut at the fold  a 
few inches down parallel 
 
Joyce  Kane
_www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/) 
Blindhands at AOL.com   

 
In a message dated 3/6/2014 12:58:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
minh.ha927 at gmail.com writes:

Thank  you so much for the suggestions. Sorry it's taken me a while to
respond;  I'm on spring break so catching up on emails. I would mainly
be using the  cutter for fleece material for dog toys. I imagine the
yard stick would be  really helpful in keep straight lines.

Minh

On 2/25/14, jill  <jillbilly4 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi,
> I have used  one.  I have one which has a retractable blade.  You have to
>  press a button when your cutting for the blade to be exposed.  I have  
used
> a
> yard stick and also a cutting mat when using this  tool.
> Jill
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:  Nfb-krafters-korner [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>  On
> Behalf Of Barb Roland
> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014  10:35 AM
> To: List for blind crafters and artists
> Subject: Re:  [Nfb-krafters-korner] Tips for using rotary cutters
>
> I've not  used one myself but have heard they are very sharp. I would use 
a
>  guide of some sort, like a yard stick or a piece of wood wide enough  to
> hold
> in place without getting your fingers in the way, I'm  thinking a 1 by 4.
> Barb
> On Feb 25, 2014, at 8:59 AM, minh ha  <minh.ha927 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello  all,
>>
>> I was wondering if any of you could give me tips  on how to use rotary
>> cutters safely. My mom has a pair at home  that she uses for sewing and
>> I want to learn how to use it, but  she doesn't feel comfortable enough
>> to teach me because she  doesn't want me to hurt myself. Any tips on
>> how to cut fabric  safely would be appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>  Minh
>>
>> --
>> "All men dream, but not equally.  Those who dream by night in the dusty
>> recesses of their minds,  wake in the day to find that it was vanity:
>> but the dreamers of  the day are dangerous men, for they may act on
>> their dreams with  open eyes, to make them possible." T. E. Lawrence
>>
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--  
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the  dusty
recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was  vanity:
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act  on
their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." T. E.  Lawrence

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