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Last Sunday evening I had just finished ironing a gigantic pile of Wee Wander fresh from the dryer. I couldn't wait to get started cutting out the quilts I'm making for my daughters. I picked up the first piece of cloth, laid it on the cutting table, and about six inches in wondered why the blade was skipping. It must need a new blade, I thought, as I took it apart - to see the inner ring of the metal lodged in the partially sheared off center post! Of course, as luck would have it, this was about 1745. My local Jo-Ann's closes at 1800 on Sunday. And it's a twenty minute drive from my house. Of course. Now many of you probably have a whole bevy of cutters in your stash, but I did not. I've had that trusty rotary cutter for years, and never saw the need for a back up as long as I had some spare blades on hand. Until I lost hours and hours of perfectly good work time to waiting around for the sun to come up so I could go get a new one! As luck would have it, Fiskars were on sale and I had a great coupon for the blades. They didn't have the large Olfa cutter, but I ordered it online and thanks to the flying drones - err - UPS man - had it two days later, so I am now the proud owner of three brand new tools: 28 mm, 45 mm and 60 mm rotary cutters. Linking up with Molli Sparkle's Sunday Stash. (On a side note, I used the 28 mm for the first time this week to cut some improv curves and ! how did I never use one this size before? I see how indispensable this will be for the curved piecing quilt I have coming up. I know, I know - late to the table on this one!)
10 Comments
3/2/2014 04:52:06
Me, too, Adrienne! I figured 45 mm was fine for everything (and certainly I'd say it is for those starting out), but now I see why curved piecing tutorials always show people using the 28 mm - very, very nicely follows a curve. I have yet to use the 60 mm, but I think it'll be handy for the folded yardage of my next quilt backs : )
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3/2/2014 03:13:23
Yay! New rotary cutters are always fun. Someone else just recommended to me buying the smallest one to cut around curves too. I'll have to add that to my list next time they are on sale :-)
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3/2/2014 05:04:02
Yes, I shrugged off the small cutter/curves thing, Jess, but now that I've tried it, I get it - much smoother and faster. Worth the small price, especially if it's 40% off like mine was!
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3/3/2014 11:03:45
That's interesting, Audrey - when I was reading reviews the other night before purchasing, it sounded like a lot of people go 60 mm and never look back except for curve/tiny stuff with the 28. Maybe my 45 will get eclipsed!
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Welcome! I'm Sarah. As a milmompreneur maker, wherever I go, I quilt, teach & sew! {Bio} Archives:
December 2017
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