The Sewing Room

hart44

Tamster150 wrote: »

Does anyone do or used to do cross stitch???

I saw this website on another forum http://www.lovequiltsuk.com/index.php

Thank you Tamster, there are some beautiful quilts there. I used to cross stitch but I gave up now Im long sighted as the charts get confusing
Have you put this link on the great quilt forum as they are doing a cross stitch quilt for charity and are now finishing off so will love this
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2424617

Love you little mans top, well done it look cute on him :T

Dizzy, your holiday looked fab

littleowl

I am thinking of investing in a rotary cutter and cutting mat for making shapes for quilts. Does one need separate rotary cutters for fabric and for paper? My fabric shears are never used for paper but I don't know whether the same should apply to cutters.
Any advice would be useful as this is quite an investment for me.

Justamum

littleowl wrote: »

I am thinking of investing in a rotary cutter and cutting mat for making shapes for quilts. Does one need separate rotary cutters for fabric and for paper? My fabric shears are never used for paper but I don't know whether the same should apply to cutters.
Any advice would be useful as this is quite an investment for me.

I would say yes. Paper blunts blades really quickly, so I would use the same rule you would use for scissors.

ETA you can buy just the blades, so you could have one blade for fabric then change the blade to use for paper - just keep the container it comes in marked with which one is which.

littleowl

Justamum wrote: »

I would say yes. Paper blunts blades really quickly, so I would use the same rule you would use for scissors.

ETA you can buy just the blades, so you could have one blade for fabric then change the blade to use for paper - just keep the container it comes in marked with which one is which.

Thanks - good idea about the spare blades! I have poor eyesight so am hoping this will make cutting shapes easier and quicker. Do you do this?

Justamum

littleowl wrote: »

Thanks - good idea about the spare blades! I have poor eyesight so am hoping this will make cutting shapes easier and quicker. Do you do this?

I haven't done much patchwork, and haven't done the fiddly shapes, but when I do want to cut material in a straight line I use a rotary blade.

littleowl

Justamum wrote: »

I haven't done much patchwork, and haven't done the fiddly shapes, but when I do want to cut material in a straight line I use a rotary blade.

Thanks Justamum

genieuk

With the rotary cutters, I have to be careful as I end up going off slightly. I am left-handed so not sure if that is why. Still a useful tool though.

Justamum

genieuk wrote: »

With the rotary cutters, I have to be careful as I end up going off slightly. I am left-handed so not sure if that is why. Still a useful tool though.

I'm left handed too - I don't think that should make you go off at a tangent (we are no less normal than right-handers!). You can get left-handed rotary cutters - which I didn't know when I bought mine!

genieuk

Justamum wrote: »

I'm left handed too - I don't think that should make you go off at a tangent (we are no less normal than right-handers!). You can get left-handed rotary cutters - which I didn't know when I bought mine!

Sorry I would beg to differ, not saying we are not normal but cutting with knives and scissors is different, and its what you get used to. My daughter has lefthanded, pens,pencils, rulers and scissors in school. she handed me a pair of the scissors to use once and all I did was chew the paper up.

My fiskars cutter has a guard on one side which makes it difficult to see when cutting, like this one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiskars-299794-60mm-Rotary-Cutter/dp/B000VPTGRM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=1280243149&sr=8-2.
Which I didn't think about when buying it I was just glad to get one.
Unfortunately not seen any others where I live and can't get them posted abroad. The olfa cutter looks good as you slide a switch and cut left or right handed.

Justamum

genieuk wrote: »

Sorry I would beg to differ, not saying we are not normal but cutting with knives and scissors is different, and its what you get used to.

I suppose it is what you get used to. I've never had left-handed anything, so with scissors I just had to train myself to use my right hand. I'm the only one in my family who is left-handed, but I won't let anyone else slice the bread as I am the only one who can cut a straight slice - left-handed using a right-handed knife [polishes fingernails on t-shirt]. The right-handers cut them all wonky.

I've got an Olfa cutter, but I've had it for a few years now. The one you've given the link to will be much safer (Olfa do similar ones). Mine doesn't have the safety handle, and you have to slide a cover up when you've finished - I've got a couple of scars where I've been a bit clumsy (or lazy)

You can get the safety type ones left-handed - I used one at a patchwork class I went to a couple of years ago.