Fabric cutting machines and why you might need one

 Hello friends, 

Are you like many quilters and wish there was more time in your day to get quilts made? What if I told you there is a very simple way? Let me explain...

I have been getting quite a few comments lately about the amount of quilts I'm getting done these days. At first I really didn't connect the dots and figured I was just working more hours on my quilts,  but then I realized that I'm getting a lot more quilts done because I'm using a fantastic fabric cutting system that is making a HUGE difference!

I figured if I benefit from this system, others might too, and that explains this post ;).

( this post contains affiliate links; please see my disclosure in the sidebar)

So years and years ago I bought the Accuquilt Go cutter ( and I'm talking probably close to 10 years ago!)

But it has really only been in the last year or so that I have really been using it to it's full potential. You see, I got educated. It turns out that Accuquilt puts out TONS of videos showing you how to use their products, plus they provide you with all kinds of free patterns through their website.

But I'm getting ahead of myself! First I want to explain what this system is and how it works!

I will talk about the Go! because that is the cutter I own, but all their cutters will basically work the same way ;).

So here is a picture of my cutter, opened up. It folds up and stands out of the way when not in use and really does not take up much space. 

Using the cutter is super simple! All you do it choose a die, place your fabric on top, and place the special mat on top of that, and run it through the machine. You see that handle on the right? You crank that and the rollers move your die through, thus cutting your fabric. There are NO sharp blades anywhere on the machine, they are cleverly hidden inside the die, which has foam all around it to protect fingers. Great for us as well as kids! 

Here is an example of one of my dies, with the special mat. If you forget to place the mat on top of your die and fabric absolutely nothing happens~ you need that mat in order to cut.

So I have to share a funny story. When I got my machine I really wasn't educated on how best to use it, so I would run giant pieces of fabric through to cut one little shape, therefore creating a lot of waste! Now I know better! You simply subcut your fabric to a certain size ( a little larger than your die shape), and place it on your die, and voila, hardly any waste! 

Do you know how many layers of cotton fabric you can cut at once? SIX! That is a lot of cutting in just one pass of the die. I can make quilts super quickly because my cutting goes so much faster than with a traditional ruler and rotary cutter! 

Here are some photos of the process:

                                                                 Sub cut your fabric

                                                                      Lay out your die

                                                       Place fabric and mat on top of die

                                           Run it through the machine by turning the handle

                                                     Take your fabric off and start sewing!

Now I have to share another amazing detail about these dies....when you have funky shapes, like triangles or other shapes where you normally have to deal with those dreaded dog ears....these dies take care of those! They are already cut off for you, so sewing them together is so simple!  I used to struggle with matching my points and not cutting off the tips of shapes, but no more. Just have a look at these blocks I just finished: 

And how about these? 

Here are some quilts I have made in the last few months with my Accuquilt: 

Pretty amazing with all that variety, isn't it? I think you all know that I love my fusible applique and a lot of these quilts were made using fusible web. You can fuse your fabric and then run it through the cutter and you are ready to go ( when using fused fabric they recommend running only 4 layers through at a time). Here are some photos of my umbrella quilt in the making: 

Choose and prepare your fabric with fusible webbing.

Grab your die and cutting mat.

Subcut your fabric slightly larger than the shape you are covering and place on the die.

Lay the mat on top and run everything through the machine.

Voila, umbrella pieces are ready to use! Now wasn't that easy? And you can cut more than cotton...how about craft foam, cork, paper, wool, ......

Apart from the accuracy and speed, I think that kids, as well as people who might have a harder time with a rotary cutter will get so much use out of one of these. If you are concerned that you cannot even roll the handle, let me assure you that it is easy, but they also have the electric cutter ( click) where all you do is push a button and it does all that for you, but more details about that one later on.

I just love using my Accuquilt and have slowly been adding dies as they have good sales. The system is an investment, but if you keep an eye on sales you can get really good deals ( and they also offer financing!). 

 

Just recently I picked up the smallest of the Accuquilt machines, the Go! Me.

The Go! Me would be a great starter set, and you can always upgrade to the Go! at a later time, if you find yourself using the machine a lot. Any die that is 6 inches wide ( or smaller) by any length can fit through the Go! Me so I really don't think you are going to feel limited by the possibilities. 

However, if you want to treat yourself and go for the bigger size right away, there is the bundle for the Accuquilt Go!

This is one of the free patterns made using this set:

And if you are really feeling the need to spoil yourself, you can get the Go! Big Electric machine!( Click). This one can fit 2  6 inch dies through at the same time so your cutting will be even faster!  

No handle to crank here, but you do need an outlet to plug it in. Here is what is included with this starter set:

So, how about it?  Have I piqued your interest? Go check out the website and see all they have to offer:

Accuquilt (click)

And you might be tempted to buy from Amazon, where these products are also available( click), but they don't have these deals, and I personally prefer to buy directly from Accuquilt due to warranties!

If you have any questions about my Go!, please ask! I am happy to share what I know with all of you.

Until next time~happy creating!

Monique