Yesterday I received a much awaited delivery.
Things just take longer to arrive here. Even something sent specially "Overnight" or "Next Day" may not actually make it until a couple of days later.
We are just that far out...
So the mats I had ordered last Wednesday didn't arrive until yesterday Wednesday - even though they were slated to arrive last Friday.
And while I was unpacking these to replace the old ones, I realized that I had an opportunity to get back to basics for those newer quilters among us who never learned what they should be doing with their mats.
Old mat.
Not only bad news, but bad USAGE!
Did you know that if you are continually using the lines on your mat to measure and cut by that you are not only ruining your mats before their time, but you are likely killing the life of your rotary blades?
And yes, I know there are designers out there with videos showing that they count the inches out on their mat and continually are cutting using the lines on their mat instead of the lines on the ruler.
Every time I see it I want to apologize both to the mat, and to the rotary blade!
Grooves in the mat from cutting in the same place all of the time not only ruins the mat, but ruins your blade and gives you inaccurate cuts because the fabric is pushed down into the groove, changing the measurement you are shooting for.
Click to Play:
Use the lines on your rulers to measure and cut.
Change your rotary blade when it gets dull or nicked to preserve your mat!
No mat is truly "Self healing" if you cut again and again and agarin in the same place, and do it with a dull rotary blade.
A dull blade is really hard on your mat.
Try to cut all over your mat at different angles to preserve your mat.
It may feel weird if you have been a mat-line-cutter, but with a little practice you'll see the difference and your mat and blade will thank you.
If you have a mat with lines on one side only - you can turn your mat over to train yourself to only use the lines on your ruler. Your piecing will become more accurate.
These Fiskars mats have lines both sides, so turning them over wouldn't help.
Honestly, the only time I am forced to measure by the mat lines are when I don't have a ruler that allows me to cut the size I need.
And I have rulers all the way up to a 24'' square.
I was asked by someone who is a "ruler minimalist" what sizes of rulers I keep because they didn't want "ruler clutter."
My response was that I need the tools that I need to get the job done.
My go-to is the 6 X 12 Olfa Frosted that you see here, but I also use a 6 1/2'' square quite a bit along with a 9 1/2'' square, a 12 1/2'' square, a 16 1/2'' square.
Were I a golfer - would I minimize my number of golf clubs and try to do all the things with one club?
Or would I increase my number of clubs to play the game I wanted to play with the best tools possible?
Just things to think about.
Just a bit of sewing happened yesterday -
I'm putting Carrie's neutrals and some of her colors to use thanks to her scrap boxes that arrived last week.
And there are the scissors that I rediscovered after cleaning off my cutting table.
I only had a bit of time before Celeste's Quilty Pleasures gang arrived, but I did SOME and that's all that matters.
I tend to grab a handful of scraps and place them on my machine bed to pull from until I run out of variety, and then I pull another handful to bring in more.
These all have a similar mix of scraps from those fabric pulls..but they'll be mixed in with everything.
I am having fun with Carrie's netrals adding to my variety.
Right now the past isn't my problem, but the present is certainly a challenge so I changed the ending line.
Don't give up. Keep speaking out. Keep standing up for what's right. Keep pushing forward.
And most of all keep being kind to yourself and those around you.
Hi Bonnie!! Do you use a 45 mm rotary cutter mostly, or do you also use a 60mm rotary cutter as well?
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, I heard some time ago that you should soak your mats in a tub with water and a touch of vinegar overnight at least once a year to keep them from drying out and getting brittle. Is this really a thing?
ReplyDeleteI see you have the Fisker’s brand cutting mat. I love mine. I love that it’s double-sided and has markings at every quarter inch across the entire mat unlike other major brands. I take my medium sized one with me to retreats, so I don’t have to use the very large, white plastic ones that are often provided.
ReplyDeleteGood morning! I couldn't agree with you more--I never use my mat lines for cutting. I use a smaller mat (it's 5x7 or 6x9) on top of my big mat when I'm cutting smaller size pieces and squaring up blocks. It's cheaper to replace a small mat when it gets worn out than my nice big mat. :-) Jenny
ReplyDeleteBonnie, thank you for the information on using the mat and rulers correctly! Once before you discussed the ruler and how to position it to cut accurately, and it helped significantly. This will be another helpful tip as I work on my skills. Your generosity in sharing your knowledge is greatly appreciated. Lynne
ReplyDeleteWhen my sister started quilting in 2015 she kept asking me what lines to use when cutting. I had always just done my thing not giving it much thought. Although I mostly used my rulers, versus my mat, for measuring, it wasn't always correct. In 2019 we took one of your classes at the Minnesota Quilters show and you told us all how to cut. My sister got her answer (4 years later) and it was the first time I really learned how to cut my fabric. It made me much more consistent and accurate. Thanks for taking the time and effort to educate us. I look forward to reading your blog everyday. Suzanne
ReplyDeleteI lost my brother just about a month ago after a long battle with cancer. I thought of you, because I knew you had lost a brother too. Any coping strategies you can share? This is hard. We must carry on, right?
ReplyDeleteI lost my sweet brother, try to spend a little extra time with his wife and my two nieces in his honor. We talk about him and I share many of my happier memories growing up in our family. I often find myself thinking of him smiling, makes me happy.
DeleteThe ruler/cutting mat lesson is one that I learned years ago and I have proof that it works. When cutting out a quilt using the ruler's lines diagonally across the mat, I get very accurate cuts, and my mat lasts a very, very long time. When I work at my job cutting large pieces of neoprene or fleece on my "work room" mat, because the pieces are so large, I do need to use the lines on the mat rather than the ruler. Consequently, an Olfa mat will only last about 6 to 8 months and will wind up at that point of time with a groove so deep it has cut a line through the mat completely. An Accuquilt mat will only last 3 months for work cuts. I always keep an extra mat hidden against the wall behind a piece of furniture, at the ready for the day I need to replace the next work mat. I keep my work mat and rotary cutter separate from my quilting mat and cutter because I too do not want to sacrifice the accuracy of my quilt piecing to a poorly cut strip. So I have made myself a work sewing room and a quilting sewing room. Good thing I have 4 bedrooms in this house and it's only me and the dog living in it. I'll never be able to downsize...I have too much quilting stuff.
ReplyDeleteI would never cut fabric using the lines on the mat. I only use those lines for a quick measurement, like "do I have a big enough scrap?" or "is this zipper long enough?" or "is this ribbon/trim really a yard long?" Not a fan of frosted rulers (it's an eye focus thing) but I do put something under my rulers to stop them from being slippery - those plastic or sandpaper adhesive dots, or in a pinch, plastic first-aid tape. I can wear a mat out by standing in the same place to cut, though. I find I have to move around my cutting table or turn the mat. Used mats are given to the men in my life for the workshop. I actually gave one son a brand new cutting mat as part of his "moving away from home" tool kit, and he uses it all the time under electronics soldering projects. Mats are handy for all sorts of things. If they'd match my kitchen, I'd use them as pet feeding mats. I could also envision an old one lining the trunk/cargo space in a vehicle. Ann P.S. I had an old cutting mat crack and break when I was moving it in the sewing room. Didn't know they could eventually do that.
ReplyDeleteAwesome newsletter today! But what I wanted to comment on is the quote of the day! Always so timely to me! Thanks Bonnie!!
ReplyDelete