New to Sewing/Quilting and have a Rotary Cutter Question

First off! I am new to the boards here and am excited to get started. I have been practicing sewing straight and can see the error of my ways....two things. Too fast and cutting fabric crooked.

Okay, so I have only begun sewing in EARNEST over the last year. I am not very good at it but I think most of my errors lie in my failure to cut fabric straight! I have attempted to use scissors, rotary cutters,rulers, pattern weights, pinning fabrics, tearing fabric -- you name it. My main question is this: I see everyone on YouTube and Jenny especially using a rotary cutter lickety STRAIGHT split and I cannot seem to get a rotary cutter to cut through a piece of fabric without my having to rock back and forth, causing it to shred and cut crooked the single piece of fabric and still 99% of the time I haven't cut all the way through the fabric the entire length, even if I stop to adjust the pressure as I go along. I am just attempting to cut straight lines at this stage of the game and cannot do it. I first thought it was the cheap brand rotary cutter I was using, so I spent more money and purchased the premium Olfa brand, but I have seen Jenny use my "cheap" brand on here several times without having to go back and re-cut or use scissors to get a cut all the way through. I am using a cutting mat (self healing by Olfa) and even pressure, even had dh attempt to use it thinking I wasn't pressing hard enough and he cut into my board the entire length of fabric cutting and STILL DID NOT CUT THROUGH THE single thickness of 100% cotton FABRIC! What operator error does anyone suggest next?
Help!:icon_hi:

You might try changing the blade. Sounds like a dull blade to me or one with nicks in it.

Hi.......welcome to the forum. I'm wondering if maybe it's a bad batch of blades. Are the Olfa brand blades that you are using with the Olfa cutter? I don't think other blades will work on the Olfa cutter. Also check and see if you have 2 blades stuck together.........I think that happened to someone else here on the forum. The oil on the blades in the package can make them stick together. Hope this helps.

Change the blade. It just takes practice to cut through. Put some sandpaper dots on your ruler to keep it from sliding around.

I think you'll find your problem solved by changing the blades, as most have suggested.

I can't remember where I saw this tip but it helps me cut without the blade slipping.
Use your pinky finger to help stabilize the ruler by placing it just beside the ruler, like a stop. Also move your hand up the ruler as you cut. I cut about ten inches then move my hand.

Cutting with a rotary cutter takes a lot of practice, but keep at it. You're going to love it!

Also check to make sure that the blade isn't on too tight - I have a fiskars cutter, and the "nut" that is screwed on can go on too tight, causing the blade to not rotate.

There's definitely something wrong here. I'm new to quilting (four months) and I have no problem getting very straight cuts with my rotary cutter and self healing mat. I even cut through multiple layers at once. My best advice is take your cutter to your local quilt shop and ask for help. Never underestimate the value of making friends (and patronizing) a nearby shop. They can help you a million ways you don't even recognize yet. Also, I saw a tip the other day to use a small piece of shelf liner (the rubbery, sticky kind) between your ruler and your fabric to keep from slipping. Mine does slip often (I think I press too hard) so I'm going to give it a try next time I have a project to cut.

Most if not all rotary cutters are made for either left or right handed cutting. Make sure you have your blade on the correct side depending on your handedness.

That happened to me when I first started and I changed the blade and my rotary cutting was fantastic. The only thing that was in my favor is my scrap pile got larger, lol.

Re: cutting fabric staight - Are you using 2 rulers next to each other to guide your cut? Or are you trying to cut following the lines on your cutting mat? - which is not dependable. First press your fabric. Then cut a narrow strip to make the ends even. Then use your 12" square ruler to position over the width you want to cut. Slide your 24" ruler up against the square ruler, press down. Remove the square ruler & cut along the edge of the long ruler. Press slowly & firmly. It takes practice.

Cutting blades: It could be 2 blades nestled together. This happened to me once & I couldn't figure out why it was making such a mess of my fabric. I use tweezers to separate the blades & pick them up to avoid cutting my fingers. Or wear the safety glove. Keep trying! It's worth the effort. :) JCY

There is a tutorial on YouTube: "How to Cut Fabric with a Rotary Cutter" by Leah Day. See if that helps. JCY

:D First, I want to thank all of you for your suggestions. I am hoping it isn't a dull blade since the rotary cutters never worked for me straight out of the package! I will check to see if the blades came two in the package stuck together. I just began using them straight out of the package, so didn't know I was supposed to load a blade into it or that an extra blade was even offered in the package. I will have to go back and look at this tonight when I get home. Also, thanks for the suggestions on the holding the ruler straight. I think patience is my biggest gag with the ruler issue-wanting to cut and just get it over with. My rotary will cut through in some spots and not in others. Moving the cutting mat/board/ruler in order to shift it closer to me so I can have the same "even" pressure across the cut ( I am cutting MULTIPLE strips of 11-1/2" x 38" long fabric to make cases for an ongoing project at work) and I lose patience with myself when I adjust and the ruler moves! I think I will have to try the ruler stabilizing suggestions as well!
I will look the cutters over tonight and then get back on here and post. I may just stop by the fabric store and purchase some new blades, just in case they came out of the package dull!
Thanks again all for the suggestions! I so appreciate it and look forward to asking more questions in the future! ha!

Another suggestion, don't try to cut more than about 4 layers of quilting type cotton at once. It will be much more likely to shift if it is more layers.

One more suggestion for your Olfa cutter: When changing the blade, make sure that you put the metal washer on correctly before you put on the black tightening screw. The washer should bow upwards and there's only one correct side for the screw, even though it looks like either side would work. If you put your cutter back together incorrectly, either the blade won't move or the safety feature won't work.

Check out a video to see what I mean. Anytime my cutter doesn't work right, it's usually because I didn't put it back together right.
http://www.olfa.com/index.asp?pageid=7

Just thought about this.......there is a demo video on the Olfa website showing how to change the blades. Another thought, is your mat new or does it have cut marks in it? The cut marks can affect how well the rotary cutter will work.

When you cut long strips, cut only as far as you can fully support the ruler. Stabilize only a hand-width at a time, then stop cutting and walk your hand up the ruler to support the next area. Cut that and move your hand until done.

I agree with everyone else that when you have to whack at the fabric, your blade is dull. I generally cut 4 layers but no more. You also need to keep the ruler upright against the ruler - not angled. When I cut mine, I generally stand above the ruler and apply even pressure.

If you are using a cutter straight from the package, Here are my suggestions:
1) make sure your cutting mat is on a flat hard surface - on a table or counter top, no padding or carpet underneath. I tried to use a regular mat on the end of my ironing board and it gave me fits until I remembered the ironing board had a layer of padding in it. When I moved back to the cutting table, it was fine. So much for saving a few steps...
2) make sure you loosen the nut on the rotary cutter blade just about 1/4 a turn so the blade rotates freely when extended.
3) Press your fabric flat at the iron and fold in half from selvage to selvage (the woven part on the edges) and place the fold on the mat towards you lined up along one crosswise line.
4) make your first cut at the very raw edge of the fabric so you have straight edge using the ruler and mat as your guide.
5) line up the fabric edge with the cutting mark (like 2 1/2") on your ruler, apply pressure to the ruler with one hand and slowly travel along the outside edge of the ruler from the fold to the selvage with the rotary cutter with the blade extended. You shouldn't have to press down really hard on the handle of the cutter, just a firm even pressure. Stop about half way along the ruler lift your ruler-holding hand, move it up the ruler press down and continue cutting the rest of the piece. Try not to move the ruler. Moving the ruler around or moving the fabric around might be causing the problem

I'm sure there's a tutorial or two on how to cut fabric on YouTube. I just can't think of one right off the top of my head. Good luck.

If any of that doesn't help, go to your local quilt shop and ask them to show you. I know mine would be happy to help anyone who needed such instruction. People learn differently - some can see words and understand, some need pictures, some need hands on...

Okay, I apologize that I haven't gotten on here sooner and thanked all of you again for your suggestions. I have been searching for this goofy post of mine for 10 minutes now! I AM THE WORST at technology. Anyway, I wanted to give you an "update" on the rotary tool issue.
I went to buy new blades and saw the pretty, shiny Gingher, which is what my favorite scissors are. So I thought, "Ok...I will use my 60% off coupon and buy them." and I did. Painfully, shelling out the money, I brought them home and sure enough, they worked. For about 20 cuts of fabric! Then the blade started skipping. I am cutting strips that are 11.5" wide and 38" long of cotton and muslin fabrics, not at the same time, but non-stop for a repeat pattern I make. Anyway...I digress... At least I know that the things work though! So I went back to buy a new blade last night and purchased new blades for my Olfa. I made sure it was a single blade pack. I am going to install that blade and see if it works in the Olfa I have and then I will be set. At LEAST I know it wasn't so much operator error anymore, thanks to you ladies! But surely the blade should last a fairly decent length of time? Maybe I nicked it like several of you suggested, but I will at least be able to use a rotary cutter now. My biggest issue was that I have to cut these long strips out for an item I make for our business and I can't seem to figure out a faster way to do it, so the rotary cutter helps a great deal in getting the sides to line up straight!
Thank you again, ladies! You saved the day! You are awesome and I am I so blessed to have found this board!

I you do not need to be totally precise you can buy a motorized rotary cutter. The one made buy Chickadee [I think} is great. It is quite expensive but if you are doing this for a business you should be able to get it wholesale. it will cut through many layers of heavy fabric like butter. Chickadee? | Eastman Machine Co.

It will not make precise enough cuts for piecing quilts but will make pretty good cuts on a drawn line.