Rotary Cutting Tools

April 18, 2011
rotary cutting tools

Nothing cuts strips of fabric better than rotary cutting. It’s so much easier on your hands, wrists and shoulders than using scissors! Plus, you get more accurate cuts.

In this post I’m going to take you through the basic tools, tell you what you’ll use them for and give you some recommendations on purchasing.

All of these tools are readily available at pretty much any fabric store. I also linked to Amazon for each product – those links are affiliate links.

My #1 favorite tool – and one I recommend for everyone, whether you’re going to rotary cut or mark and cut with scissors – is a clear acrylic ruler. Mine is 6″ x 24″ and that’s the size I recommend. It should have an all-over 1-inch grid, with markings down to 1/8 inch. Also look for diagonal lines that say 30, 45, and 60. Those seem mysterious at first, but they are terrific for cutting angled shapes.

I show you how to use this ruler in this post – Rotary Cutting: How to Square Up Your Fabric and Cut Strips.

I also have a 2″ x 18″ ruler, but I hardly ever use it now that I have the big one. Just buy a big one.

The only other tools you really need for rotary cutting are a rotary cutter and a cutting mat.

This my my rotary cutter and I love it. It takes a 45mm blade and it’s very easy to find replacement blades. Some people also have smaller cutters for going around curves, and larger cutters for going through more layers of fabric, but this is all I need. The blade is (and needs to remain) razor sharp – so keep it out of reach of kids until they are ready to use it safely – with instruction and supervision.

I have two different cutting mats. This is the one I use for most of my cutting. It’s big – 24″ x 36″ and I do recommend getting the biggest one you can afford and/or have room for. Most fabric is 44″ wide and it’s very nice to be able to fold it in half just once for cutting – so look for one that’s at least 24″ on one side.

I also have a 12″ x 18″ mat like this one that’s very handy for cutting quilt blocks when I want to spin them around to cut from more than one side. With this small mat I can spin the mat and not disturb the block. I’ve tried cutting mats with a lazy Susan-style base for spinning around, but for me that spins too easily. I’m happiest just using a smaller mat.

There are lots of other specialty rulers out there, with markings designed particularly for a certain kind of quilt block. Only get these if you make a lot of that kind of block. These are the only specialty rulers I have. . .

That’s it – the whole inventory of my rotary cutting tools.

Here’s a round-up of tutorials showing how I use these tools. . .

Here are handy links to all the posts about quilting tools and supplies.

Sewing Machine

Iron

Rotary Cutting Tools

Scissors

Other General Sewing Room Supplies

One More Hugely Popular Post that Seems to Fit Here Better than Anywhere Else

Return to the Let’s Make a Quilt main Table of Contents.

Move on to the posts about choosing your quilt pattern.

Happy sewing!

How to Use a Seam Ripper – video

January 24, 2011

How to Use a Seam Ripper

If you’re going to sew, I guarantee there will be times when you need to “unsew.” If you’re anything like me – many, many, many times. Learn how to tear out stitches without tearing or distorting your fabric. Trust me. You’re going to need to know how to do this.

I keep one at my sewing machine, on at my ironing board, and one at my work table. That’s how often I need to rip out my work. 🙂

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi
That's me!

How To Choose Fabric – video

December 13, 2010

How to Choose Fabric for Beginners

You’ve got your machine and all your tools and you’re ready for the fun part – picking out the fabric. Woo hoo! What you might not know is that some fabrics are a dream to work with – and some are a nightmare.

This video gives you some tips on how to choose fabric for a beginning sewist. Hint: It’s not the velvet and satin! At least not for beginners. After you have some of the basics under your belt we’ll have a few special lessons on working with all the “tricky” fabrics I mention. You will learn to sew with velvet – just not for your first project. 🙂

Want to jump ahead to working with some of those “fancy” fabrics? Here are links to some lessons. . .

And I have a whole bunch of info about working with felt – one of my favorite fabrics.

If you’re looking for specific info about choosing fabrics (and colors) for a quilt, here are some helpful posts for you.

Now that you know how to choose fabric that will be easy to work with – pick a project and start sewing! There are a bunch of free patterns here.

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi
That's me!

Basic Sewing Machine Maintenance

December 9, 2010
Easy Sewing Machine Maintenance - a video from Shiny Happy World

So, you’ve got yourself a sewing machine. Now you have to learn how to take care of it. Don’t worry! Sewing machine maintenance is pretty easy – just regular cleaning and the occasional drop of oil. You’ll have to change the needle pretty often too. I show you how to do it all in this video.

Update! A lot of commenters on YouTube have freaked out because I blow compressed air into my machine. The guy who cleans my sewing machine actually taught me to do this, so I feel pretty ok about it – but it’s important to do it after you brush all the big, obvious stuff out. It helps to get the little bits that are hidden in nooks and crannies. 

See how easy basic sewing machine maintenance is? I give my machine a good cleaning and oiling in between every major project – and sometimes multiple times during larger projects like a quilt. It only takes a minute and your machine will thank you. 🙂

Here are handy links to all the posts about quilting tools and supplies.

Sewing Machine

Iron

Rotary Cutting Tools

Scissors

Other General Sewing Room Supplies

One More Hugely Popular Post that Seems to Fit Here Better than Anywhere Else

Return to the Let’s Make a Quilt main Table of Contents.

Move on to the posts about choosing your quilt pattern.

Happy sewing!

Basic Sewing Supplies

December 6, 2010

Basic Sewing Supplies

If you’re a beginning sewer there are a few basic sewing supplies you’ll need to invest in. You’ll add more later as you learn more advanced techniques – but these are all you need to get started.

All of these links go to online sources – but all of these should be easy to find at any fabric or craft store. I made this post light on the pictures so you can easily print this list out and bring it in to your local fabric store. Just hand it to one of the employees and they’ll set you up with everything you need.

Basic Sewing Supplies – Everything a Beginner Needs

  • seam ripper* – Oh yes, you will be ripping out stitches. I promise. I keep one at my machine, one on my work table, and one at my ironing board. That’s how often I end up using it. 🙂 There’s a video here showing how to use this scary-looking tool.
  • needles – Look for sharps, embroidery needles, or betweens – all will work for hand-sewing. There’s a post here all about the difference between those needle types. Start with a pack of assorted sizes so you can try out several and see what you’re most comfortable with. Many people start sewing with a larger needle and then progress to smaller needles as their skill improves.
  • sewing gauge* – Such a handy little tool – you’ll use it all the time.
  • marking pencils* – You’ll need at least two – a light color for dark fabrics and a darker color for light fabrics. I often use a regular pencil to mark on light fabrics, and I like this assortment for marking on darker fabrics.
  • bent shears* – The bent shape on these makes it easy to cut through layers of fabric without shifting it around too much. You can buy really expensive shears and have them sharpened regularly or you can buy inexpensive ones like these. If you use them ONLY FOR FABRIC and do a lot of sewing you’ll probably need to replace them after about a year. If you cut paper with them you’ll need to replace them a lot sooner. You can read about The Great Scissor Rotation here. 🙂
  • thread snipper* – You’ll need a pair of small scissors for cutting threads close to the fabric. I love my spring-loaded snips, but any small, sharp scissors will do.
  • pinking shears* – You won’t need these unless you start sewing garments, but they’re fun to have for other projects too.
  • pins* – You need long, sharp pins with large heads that will be easy to spot. I love these pretty pearly ones.
  • pin cushion* – Get something pretty or plan to make your own very soon. (Here’s a free pattern.) If you go with the classic tomato and strawberry combo – the tomato is for storing your pins. The strawberry is for sharpening them. Don’t store pins in the strawberry or they may rust.
  • clear straight-edge ruler*

If you want to buy some thread now, go ahead and get a couple of spools of all-purpose thread in black and white. You’ll buy other colors as you need them and you’ll want to match them exactly to your fabric.

Of course – you’ll need a sewing machine too. Here’s some info to help you choose a good one for beginners. You’ll also need an iron and an ironing board – but I’m guessing most people already have those. You don’t need anything fancy – just an iron that will make steam.

That’s it! Gather up your sewing supplies and come back here to learn how to sew!

Best,
Wendi
That's me!

*All links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links to the exact products I use in my studio.

How to Choose a Sewing Machine for Beginners – video

December 6, 2010
Choosing a Sewing Machine for Beginners - a video from Shiny Happy World

If you’re trying to choose a sewing machine for beginners you do NOT need anything fancy. Please – do not buy a $1000 (or more!) machine unless you know you’re going to use it all the time.

At the other end of the spectrum – if you’re choosing a machine for a child, do not buy a toy sewing machine. I’ve seen a lot of them, and every one has been an utter piece of junk. They work for a little while and it’s all very exciting – but they die quickly – and sometimes spectacularly. My daughter Jo started with a toy machine and it literally threw sparks right before it went up in smoke. Very exciting.

What you want is a good, basic machine. A used machine is a great way to save some money – just make sure to bring it into a shop for a thorough cleaning. They can also give you a threading lesson and show you the basic maintenance required for your machine.

Whether you buy a machine used or from a sewing machine store, here’s a list of things to look for. . .

  • Smooth sewing. Try it out. If it makes your teeth rattle and the table shake so hard that you can’t feed the fabric through smoothly – don’t buy it. If it makes a grinding sound or a ticking sound – don’t buy it.
  • Even sewing. Sew a row of regular stitching, then take it out of the machine and look at it. Are the stitches all the same length? That’s good. Does it skip stitches – some are twice as long as others? Don’t buy it.
  • Easy threading. (Relatively speaking. If you’ve never threaded a sewing machine before it will seem insanely complicated at first.) Some newer machines have numbers or a diagram right on the machine to help with threading – and that makes it especially easy for younger kids.
  • A manual. Especially important for used machines – though you can find PDFs of a lot of old manuals online now.
  • A drop-in bobbin – if you’re choosing a machine for a child. It’s easier for kids to load than a front-loading bobbin.
  • Straight stitch. Every machine has this.
  • Zigzag stitch – all but the oldest machines have this. Don’t be sucked in by hundreds of available stitches. It’s like cable – you’ll only use a couple of them.
  • Stretch stitch. It’s not really necessary – you can always use a zigzag stitch instead – but it’s really nice to have and I end up using it fairly often.
  • You do NOT need a buttonhole stitch. You can use a zigzag stitch to make any buttonhole – and I actually get better results with a zigzag stitch.
  • The ability to backstitch. This allows you to easily “knot” at the beginning and end of your stitching. Again – almost all machines have this feature.
  • A foot pedal – if you’re choosing a machine for a child. Some machines have a knee pedal instead. That’s fine for adults, but those are often difficult for kids to control. It’s also hard to get the height just right for them.

Here’s a video talking you through some of these features and showing you my machine.

Here are a few more handy links for you. . .

Here are handy links to all the posts about quilting tools and supplies.

Sewing Machine

Iron

Rotary Cutting Tools

Scissors

Other General Sewing Room Supplies

One More Hugely Popular Post that Seems to Fit Here Better than Anywhere Else

Return to the Let’s Make a Quilt main Table of Contents.

Move on to the posts about choosing your quilt pattern.

That’s it! Happy hunting.