The Sewing Place

rotary cutter

charley

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #30 on: May 04, 2021, 22:17:21 PM »
Scissors for me too. I tried with a rotary cutter once, and it took on a life of it's own despite me being supposedly being in control of it.

Renegade Sewist

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #31 on: May 05, 2021, 07:48:50 AM »
I'm in a minority!  I use the rotary cutter almost exclusively to cut out although I have shears and snippy scissors if necessary.  I find my hands seize up if I use scissors or shears too much and being left handed, find the rotary blade much more accurate even though I have left handed versions of all my scissors.

What @Nevis5  and @mudcat said! I'll take a rotary cutter any day of the week over scissors. They are extremely accurate if used correctly which BTW many people don't do. Cutting outside notches? That is so last Millennium. It's been over 30 years since I've done that. Just adds more fiddly work. Either a small snip in or pencil or chalk mark or my happy little Frixon pen. Weights or pins. I've never had anything weighted slip.

I think fear of messing up causes most of the problems people experience with rotary cutters. It's like learning to ride a bike. Pedal slowly and you'll wobble all over and have no control. Speed it up a bit and you have  much more control. The RC is just another wheel so the same thing applies. I can usually freehand pattern cutting with the RC, even straight edges but use rulers where they make more sense.

It is so much faster to cut with a RC. Also I have Carpal Tunnel, over 30 years, and a sharp RC blade is much kinder to my hands than any scissors,  including my spring loaded Fiskars.

Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

mudcat

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #32 on: May 05, 2021, 08:26:54 AM »
Yes I was going to mention that it's way easier on my hand to use the RC.  I don't have carpal tunnel but I do have a sensitive right hand due to all the years of heavy mouse use at my job plus I have nerve damage on my right thumb from an accident with a drinking glass many moons ago so I using scissors for very long can cause a bit of pain and numbness.

Greybird

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #33 on: May 05, 2021, 08:39:50 AM »
Scissors always.

Lachica

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #34 on: May 05, 2021, 11:16:55 AM »
Re notches: I was taught to snip outwards to not weaken the s/a. Then I did them as an inwards snip but it's often difficult to see. Then I got a water soluble pen oh joy, that was great. Until the fabric which was permanently marked :angry: now I use a felt tip pen if my water soluble marker is not to hand. Small dots a couple of mm away from the cut edge. This gets chopped off by the overlocker so it's fine unless I need to unpick!
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Ohsewsimple

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #35 on: May 05, 2021, 11:50:44 AM »
Shears for cutting out as I feel it’s more accurate.  Also like @BrendaP says you can get an economical fabric lay which you couldn’t otherwise.  I have no problem with sheers and slippy fabric as they always get cut out with tissue paper under.  Not he’s definitely cut outward or you can’t let a seam out slightly and it does weaken the seam cutting them inwards.  Years ago when patterns were one size notches were marked outward on the paper.  With multi sized patterns that’s not possible.  I think that’s where this cutting notches  inwards comes from. 

Watching them on GBSB using a rotary cutter scares the life out of me.  How they don’t chop their fingers off is a real mystery.  I’ve heard of too many nasty accidents with them   I only use them with a proper ruler and  for straight cutting like binding, bag patterns or pieces with no pattern pieces just measurements. 

Renegade Sewist

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #36 on: May 05, 2021, 17:50:45 PM »
Snipping doesn't weaken the seam. If you're sewing an old school pattern with a ⅝" seam and make a ⅛" nip it doesn't do as much damage as using pinking shears does. If I'm using the overlocker it's all trimmed off anyway. I've never needed to let something out where that would be a problem. If I'm really unsure I'm going to cut a wide allowance and either mark with pencil or pen or thread.

Cutting with shears distorts. When you slide the lower blade under it has moved the fabric  and it is no longer aligned exactly how it was laying flat.

Clipping "notches" came into play in the early 70's as a way to speed up sewing for working women. I believe the outward notch idea was because they didn't think the little ladies at home were bright enough to line things up properly without it sticking out like a flag.

Just do what works for you but don't be afraid to try something else.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

BrendaP

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #37 on: May 05, 2021, 19:00:10 PM »
A snip an eighth of an inch long can very easily get lost as the edge of the fabric frays - some fabrics are of course worse than others - hence my comments about the two left sleeves on GSBS. 

Anything cut into the seam allowance reduces the possibility of letting out if necessary.

Outwards notches (or pen marks) every time for me.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Ohsewsimple

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #38 on: May 05, 2021, 20:10:32 PM »
I don’t have any problem with distortion using shears. Depends how you use them. If you just use shears and chop away it probably would be a problem but I use my left hand to stabilise everything while cutting. 
I do small clips for notches on some fabrics but anything expensive, delicate or liable to fray I’ll tack a mark. 

mudcat

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #39 on: May 05, 2021, 21:48:06 PM »
I'm afraid tacking always eluded me.  The few times I tried it the threads seemed to fall out.  Obviously, I did something wrong.  But yeah do what works for you. I'm lazy and take shortcuts where and when possible.

William

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #40 on: May 06, 2021, 12:12:51 PM »
Generally speaking, i use a rotery cutter for patchwork and for everything else scissors.
But donot forget "generally". I suppose i might use the rotory cutter more if i had a larger workspace with a very large cutting pad...

For weights i use, well.. weights. From the dumbbell that sits close to where i cut. They work well, though 5kg is a bit overkill...

WD
...it was a Hobbit hole, and that meant comfort.

So Chic

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #41 on: May 06, 2021, 13:37:35 PM »
I nearly always use scissors as I find a rotary cutter difficult to use.
So Chic
Bernina Artista 630, Bernina 800DL, Janome Cover Pro 1000CP and an elderly Singer Touch & Sew 720G as a back up

Kenora

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #42 on: May 06, 2021, 13:59:08 PM »
Rotary cutter - it's far more accurate.
Minding my P's & Q's in Portreath

Renegade Sewist

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #43 on: May 06, 2021, 19:27:44 PM »
Rotary cutter - it's far more accurate.
:dance:
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

coffeeandcake

Re: rotary cutter
« Reply #44 on: May 06, 2021, 20:45:58 PM »
I mostly use a rotary cutter for dressmaking and don't have any problems regarding economical layout of pattern pieces.  I do like to give my Gingher serrated  edge scissors an outing sometimes though. Notches are cut outwards.