Inaccurate Rotary Cutting

by Debbie Powell
(Jersey City, NJ)

I LOVE YOUR SITE. I just found it. I have a problem with trying to rotary cut my squares. The ruler or Rotary cutter always slips. Do you have a technique that will prevent me from making that mistake so often?

---

ANSWER

Debbie, there are several ways to eliminate inaccurate rotary cutting. For example, make two cuts instead of one. Here's how.

Rotary cut to the halfway point of your fabric. Then "walk" your hand up the ruler. You want to keep the ruler in the same position, so go slowly.

Once your hand is in place, apply pressure to the ruler, then finish the cut. Here's a graphic that shows what I mean by the "halfway point."


It also helps to make your ruler more abrasive. You can apply sticky dots or non-slip material to the back of your ruler. Or, you could purchase a pre-made, non-slip rotary ruler.

Here's another great idea. Attach a special ruler "grip" to the top of your ruler. The grip helps you to hold your ruler in one position, without slippage.

All these products are available at sewing and quilting stores or at Erica's Quilting Grids and Ruler Supplies.

I hope this information helps you put an end to inaccurate rotary cutting.

---