Rotary Cutters

Rotary cutters are one of the most commonly used tools when it comes to quilting. While many quilters have their favorite size, style, or even brand of rotary cutter, we’ll go over some of the various types of rotary cutters and see some of the different blade sizes and types that can be used with each.

Types of Rotary Cutters

Blade Sizes

Ashley Hough begins by talking about the different rotary cutter blade sizes. She explains that most quilters will generally use a 45 mm blade when cutting through two to four layers of standard quilting cotton fabric. If a project calls for thicker fabric, like a fleece or flannel, a 60 mm blade can be helpful. Smaller blade sizes, like 28 mm or 18 mm, are helpful when doing more detailed or curved cuts, as when cutting out around template pieces.

Rotary Cutter Safety

When using any size of blade, rotary cutter safety should always be practiced. Ashley shows some of the different styles of blade guards that the different types of rotary cutters have. Some allow the blade to be exposed when the handle is squeezed after a lock has been disengaged, while others require you to pull down on the blade guard prior to cutting. Depending on the blade guard mechanism, some rotary cutters can be used right or left-handed.

How to Change Rotary Blades

Next, Ashley discusses some of the different ways to change rotary blades on several cutters and then demonstrates how to change a rotary cutter blade. Even though the blade is starting to dull in terms of cutting fabric, they are still very sharp and should be handled carefully and disposed of properly. Ashley shows not only how to put in a standard blade, but shows some of the different types of specialty blades available as well, like pinking blades or scalloped edge blades.