Mastodawn

Hey, #Quilting and other #Sewing people, preferably ones with experience with bad joints and hands:
Which is the best and/or least terrible cutting wheel and cutting mat to use? Is it less angering on the fingers, elbows and shoulder than using very good scissors to cut a lot of fabric? Do the cutting mats smell bad and do cats enjoy licking them if they're weird cats?
How easy it is to fumble and cut something you're not supposed to?

Sini Tuulia Nov 17, 2023

(I'm going to bed but would not remember to ask in the morning, so)

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

Thank you, quilting and sewing people! More data is appreciated, but I should have had the sense to specify:
My elbow is the worst part, downward pressure and repetitive motions are bad, but also scissors are bad.
I would mostly be cutting out curved and precise garment shapes, with the occasional rectangle or long rectangle (hem ruffle) and batch cutting stuff like underwear pieces.

Also I have been very tempted to make a quilt because nobody sells a nice bed cover, but haven't so far!

Willow (she/her)Nov 17, 2023

@sinituulia I adore my Olfa mats and rotary cutters.

I have nerve damage in my hands and damage to my neck and shoulders. Rotary cutters have saved me.

Personally I do not notice a smell with the mats, and I'm usually sensitive to odd smells. No idea on the cat-front as mine are not allowed in my studio.

Definitely recommend starting slow, I don't personally have issues with mis-cuts but I tend to be precise over fast. Using rulers helps a LOT.

Marsden Nov 18, 2023

@MsHearthWitch @sinituulia I have asked my #quilting wife and she describes the #Olfa ergonomic rotary cutter as a "game changer". Much safer to use and much easier on the hands and wrists.

Now at [email protected]Nov 18, 2023

@marsden @MsHearthWitch @sinituulia Got one for my mom two years ago. She quilts and sews garments, and looooves it.

The other key is to change the blades. Dull or chipped blades make rotary cutting miserable and require more pressure. Fresh, sharp blades make everything better. (Especially on a quality cutting mat).

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@MsHearthWitch Thank you! Thoughtfully nodding. I have slight nerve damage here and there, including my brain, but also RSI and sometimes the scissors aggravate that.
I would be cutting garment pieces free-hand so no rulers for the most part!

Heinke Nov 17, 2023

@sinituulia My partner tried it but gave up and is only using scissors now

Ailbhe Nov 17, 2023

@sinituulia I recently became able to use scissors but was dependent on cutting mat and cutting wheel before. Steel rulers help me a lot. Keeping my cutting mat clean by wiping it with a synthetic car-washing sponge which pulls invisible fibres out of invisible cracks *greatly* reduces my errors.

Ailbhe Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia oh, and I got one from Lidl that works well because my hands are not the size of the people whose hands model for Ergonomic Grip stuff. It's just a handle.

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@artbyailbhe My hands are much smaller than normal human hands, so the ergonomic grips tend to be too large. 😄 And heck knows what kind of grip my hands prefer anyway, it seems to change with time

Ailbhe Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I'm going to try getting a smaller cutter blade -- I've been using 45mm since 2020 and it's fine but I have to do corners with scissors and that means switching tools, which is annoying. It was fine for masks because none of the corners were *inside* but not great for clothes.

For batches, using a fresh blade makes HUGE difference to elbow and hip strain, for me.

Earthy in EV heaven Nov 17, 2023

@sinituulia I am a quilter and use the Accuquilt cutting system which is $ exxy but essential for my hands and arms. I have learned to build quilts around the shapes I can cut. Also some precut shapes like jelly rolls are useful.
I use a 45 rotocutter and a good matif I am forced to cut fabric. For my arthritis scissors are the worst way to do it.
Yes rotocutters are very sharp and you need to take care to always cover the blade.
My cat only sits on my mat, not ever tried liking it

Thea Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia @seawall I tried using a cutting wheel and mat. It’s great for quilting with straight cuts but anything curved is worse on my joints than scissors. It’s very easy to slip and cut through something. Like myself. Plus the blades have to be replaced far more often than I need my scissors sharpened, and handling something made entirely of cutting edge is quite risky with my tremor.

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@sitharus I'd be cutting out curved garment pieces, mostly, and my elbow is my weakest point thanks to RSI from drawing and mouse use. My left hand tends to do the occasional random cramp or flinch or entirely letting go, so I did wonder if it's possible to injure yourself on accident. Good data, thank you!

Thea Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I do have a workable technique using a cutting wheel, just used it for cutting out a bra. The trick was using magnets so I can’t accidentally move the fabric.

I have a large Fiskar brand cutting mat and a small cutting wheel from the same brand, mostly because they make nice ergonomic handles.

I got a magnetic whiteboard and stripped it back to the metal sheet. You could just get sheet steel the right size. Placed it under the mat.

Thea Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia then I secured the fabric in place using rare earth magnets and the pattern using ceramic magnets that I got from the hardware store. This worked pretty well!

I didn’t use the rare earth magnets on the pattern because they would stick to the cutting wheel, but the ceramic ones were strong enough to hold the pattern. Also cheaper and easier to move.

I’ve tried pins before but on a cutting mat it’s a real pain to use and get an accurate cut.

Thea Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia also I learned that cutting mats any any heat don’t mix. The sun caught the edge of my first mat, so now that’s a backup one because it has weird bulges.

Deborah Pickett Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I've had a lot of weird cats over the years but none of them have shown any interest in my cutting mats.

Rotary cutters do require some force to use, but you can mitigate that by cutting only a few, or one, layer of fabric at a time. I would always use a rotary cutter over scissors, if only for the accuracy, but also because rotary cutters are no worse for me to use than scissors are. I have mild RSI.

There's not much to distinguish cutting mats; they all work about the same. Rotary cutters all use the same blades and differ mainly in the grip of the handle. Mine are Olfa and I neither love nor hate them.

There are also die cut machines (search Accuquilt Go) if you're cutting a standard shape.

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@futzle Thank you for this data!
I have pretty bad RSI in my right elbow (both golf and tennis elbows simultaneously, would not recommend) sadly aggravated by almost everything that requires using the right hand a lot. How much would you say the force used needs to be? Downwards pressure is bad for my elbow most of the time

Deborah Pickett Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia Could be more pressure than you’re comfortable with. I’m not good at quantifying force but it’s probably similar to slicing bread. I don’t know if you’ve got quilting/dressmaking friends or a fabric shop nearby but maybe see if you can try one out before committing.

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@futzle Slicing bread with a good knife would be okay, with a bad one would get painful pretty fast. Nobody close to me with a rotary cutter, unsure if they'd open one for me to try at the fabric shops. There's one with very friendly service but it's a small place and absolutely not covid safe, sadly!

Stitcher Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I have two Olfa mats that work fine and the gridlines have held up well over several years. One of them smelled strange when I bought it, but after airing for a while, it was fine.

Terri K O 🍁Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I found it very easy to fumble and miscut until I watched a bunch of technique videos from quilters (I think the Just Get It Done Quilts ones were most useful to me) and got some other accessories: sticky dots for the rulers, heavy weights to hold the other end, big suction holders. I find it easier on my hands than scissors but more mentally stressful after a few miscuts.

Rachel Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I use arthritis “easy action" scissors from Fiskars, and a pressure sensitive safety rotary cutter from Omnigrid. They both work pretty well for me -- I generally do large scale cuts with a margin for error with the rotary cutter, and pretty much everything else with the scissors. I don't have either cats or a sense of smell, so I'll leave the mat comments to others. :)

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@rgollub Ooh, safety rotary cutter! I did worry about the blade being just out there every second it was out of my hands or if my hands suddenly decided to let go of it

Marta 🌿🍃Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia I vastly prefer rotary cutters unless it's something very intricate. I have Fiskars ComfortGrip 46mm and Olfa rounded one in 28mm. 1st one is more comfortable but 28mm is more usable size. You can grip them quite differently depending on what hurts; I never put my thumb or an index finger on top, for example, and hold it like a handle.
My elbows don't hurt but my hands, fingers and wrists do.
The mats don't smell. I have cut myself with scissors but not with a rotary cutter.

Marta 🌿🍃Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia Ah, and I find scissors generally painful to operate and use the shortest suitable for the task. Since I project to cut, I mostly cut only one layer of fabric. So in general, scissors and pinned paper patterns is the most inconvenient way I know. It's much better to cut a traced pattern with scissors, but then rotary cutters are just the way to go, apart from inner corners that can be cut still, but it's easier with scissors.

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@Triffen Smaller blade is more precise? Makes sense. Is there a difference in the downward force required with blade size?
My hands don't hurt with (good) scissors but any repeated motion enough times angers the elbow! I've noticed I can't do more than a set amount of cutting per day before I fuck the old RSI up again

Marta 🌿🍃Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia Smaller blade can cut tighter curves before you have to tilt it, and that's how pieces of the edge get chipped. Smaller ones need more force too so with thicker fabrics I use a combination of bigger blade, scissors and often would trace small finicky parts with heat erase markers and cut them lifted off the surface.
I find my hands like as much variety as they can get, so combining different tools and tasks is always better. Sewing itself is good for them, unlike keyboards or phones.

Marta 🌿🍃Nov 18, 2023

@sinituulia When I was handsewing for 4h straight in my 'exile', I developed calluses on some fingers; my back and neck would hurt; but my wrists and fingers were totally fine. I'm sure my elbows would have hurt too if they were in any way sensitive. So I guess handsewing isn't a repetitive activity on the level of hands.
Cutting with rotary cutters mostly hurts my back too, from leaning over the table.

Sini Tuulia Nov 18, 2023

@Triffen Variety in the motions and tools helps me, too! Which is why I was wondering about getting a rotary cutter for at least some tasks. Doing the same thing two days in a row tends to make my elbow cranky, and all the other assorted joints and muscles. My shoulders seem mostly fine these days, which is surprising because they used to hurt all the time before

EliJ quilter Nov 19, 2023

@sinituulia I recently upgraded to a Fiskar titanium rotary cutter. It is delightful. Cuts smoothly with little effort. I've just spent the weekend rushing a quilt through for someone who has just lost their partner. My knees hurt from sitting for so long but my hands survived!👍