Whether you are a new quilter or have been quilting for a while, choosing the best rotary cutter for you is an important decision. The best rotary cutter for me, may not be the best rotary cutter for you. Let’s talk about it.
Discover the Best Rotary Cutter For You
Rotary Cutter vs. Scissors
Before we get into rotary cutters, I wanted to talk about the reasons to use a rotary cutter vs. scissors. I know that some find rotary cutters scary and for a good reason, they are very sharp. However, choosing to cut your fabric with scissors instead is not the alternative.
In order to use scissors to cut quilting fabric, you have to take the time to mark your cut lines and then cut the pieces out. In the amount of time it took you to do both of these tasks, you could have cut your fabric with a rotary cutter and already been sewing.
In addition to the time saving, many people who cut fabric with scissors will lift up the fabric to see better, and this often results in inaccurate cuts. So now you have spent the extra time getting ready to cut with scissors and ended up with inaccurate cuts. That’s a lot of wasted time and fabric.
Rotary Cutter Rulers
In addition to your rotary cutter, you will need rotary cutter rulers. Let me save you some time and money, just buy Creative Grids rulers. They have non-slip on the back of them and they slip far less than rulers that don’t. However, you still need to pay attention to what you are doing and hold your hand firmly on the ruler in order to not slip at all.
Rotary Cutter Sizes
In my recent video I shared the different size rotary cutters available in the craft market. Check out my video here. Rotary cutters come in the following sizes:
- 18mm
- 28mm
- 45mm
- 60mm
I highly recommend Olfa rotary cutters. My original 45mm rotary cutter from 2003 is an Olfa cutter and it’s still going strong today. Click here to visit Olfa’s website.
Rotary Cutters Used in Quilting
In my video I look at the two rotary cutter sizes most commonly used in quilting. Check out my video here.
Most quilters start out with a 45mm rotary cutter. They are easy to find and are a little less expensive.
However, the 60mm rotary cutter is also used in quilting for a couple of reasons:
- It glides easier due to the larger size blade,
- It helps when cutting large volumes of fabric or cutting for a long period of time
I interchange both sizes, depending on what I’m cutting on that particular day.
Be Safe
As stated at the beginning, rotary cutter blades are very sharp. Please use caution like you would with your kitchen knife. Always pay full attention to what you are doing when cutting with a rotary cutter.
My Final Thoughts
I hope you found value in Discover the Best Rotary Cutter For You. Now you know the four sizes of rotary cutters made for the crafting market as well as the two sizes commonly used in quilting.
There are many rotary cutters on the market, but this is not the place to go to the dollar store. Olfa, Fiskars, or Quilter’s Select are all great tools. By purchasing a quality tool to begin with, you won’t have to replace it in the future because it broke.
I’m So Excited!
I have been sharing my quilting knowledge for over a year and a half now through this blog and other channels. I’m very excited to announce that I am launching my first quilting course next month called The Quilting Quickstart! This course is for my beginner quilters as well as anybody that needs a refresher.
But here’s the really exciting part, I am giving away The Quilting Quickstart to one lucky winner! All you need to do is sign up here. Good luck!
For more helpful quilting tips and tricks, make sure you follow me on Youtube and Pinterest.