Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your order is appreciated and to show my thanks I have a free gift for you. It is everything you ever wanted to know about using a rotary cutter. Please enjoy the information and video!

Once you have finished your project, send me pictures, I would love to show it off.

Quilting Tips and Tricks to Make Using Your Rotary Cutter Easier?

A Quilting Tutorial That Finally Makes Your Job Easier

As part of my quilting tips and tricks I thought I would share a message a reader sent me. I am sure as a beginner quilter, you will find this very helpful, especially if your struggling with your rotary cutter, just one of the many quilting tools you will use as a quilter.

Jennifer sent me this question on 1/29/10

Hi Eileen,I signed up, got your useful chart & videos. Many thanks. At the moment, I am only on my 2nd rag quilt - you can see I'm a total beginner. However, I did buy a rotary cutter so I can cut out blocks easily, & even make a few fancy blocks for crazy quilts ......Later!BUT I don't find it easy to cut with it - I have to press very hard to go through a few layers.. It looks so completely effortless on your video. See Video she is referencing below.

I wonder if I'm doing something wrong.I have had a cutting board for some time - I do decorative painting & it comes in handy for stencil cutting.My rotary cutter is a good one (Olfa)& I only bought it a few days ago.Have you any suggestions ? Jennifer

Hi Jennifer, thanks so much for your question. A rotary cutter is supposed to make your job a lot easier. Let's see if we can figure out what to do.

First - are you holding your rotary cutter correctly? You should have your index finger over the top. (In my classes this is one of the most difficult things to train someone to do, but will make a huge difference in using your rotary cutter). This will guide your hands and make cutting easier. I have attached a photo of your hand placement. On the top of the Olfa rotary cutter you will see a ridged area. This is where you place your index finger. If that takes care of it, great, if not read on.

Second - quilting tip and trick, are you over the top of the fabric you're cutting? Meaning, are you placing your hands way in front of you and your shoulders are really stretched in front of you? This doesn't give you leverage. Try moving more over the cutting area, this will help with your control. One of the most important quilting tip and trick is to always remember to keep your fingers on the ruler and not over the edge - those blades are sharp - which brings me to the next point. (As you can see, they didn't use a retractable blade!) Be very careful with your rotary cutters.

Third, is your blade sharp? Try changing your blade and see if that gives you more control. Also, if you are cutting more than 4 layers (less for flannel) it starts getting harder. If you find yourself starting to saw the fabric, it is definitely time to change the blade. But since you mentioned it was new cutter, I have a feeling it isn't the blade.

Lastly, how about your cutting mat?. How old is it? Is it a good one? I remember a beginner quilter taking one of my classes and she brought a mat she had purchased from Walmart to class. It was blue and had this really hard pebbly surface and she was very unhappy with it. Once she changed to an OmniGrid Mat, she was in heaven and felt like she was cutting through butter.

Also, here is a link for my Necessary Quilting Tools I have a bunch of quilting tips and tricks on purchasing your quilting tools.

Good luck and I hope that the quilting tips and tricks will help you become a much more confident rotary cutter user. Happy Quilting, Eileen

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So beginner quilter do you think that you learned a couple of quilting tips and tricks to help you with your Olfa rotary cutter, or any other one you choose? I really hope so.

My favorite rotary cutter is the Olfa Rotary Cutter, it is ergonomically correct, the blade retracts automatically when you release the handle. When you hold the handle down, it requires only a very light pressure. I have a link for the 45mm Olfa rotary cutter below, if you are interested.

There are so many quilting tutorials available on line I am really glad that you have taken the time to research and look at mine. You are a beginner quilter and will want to use all the available quilting tools plus quilting tips and tricks on how to use them. Stay tuned for more quilting tutorials on my website and blogs.