New Gear

Hello again,

I have had a busy non-creative week this week and I am feeling tired, so I am going to try to keep it short this time.

After the thought of actually getting a rotary cutter for sewing had entered my head, it was a matter of a couple days before I decided "Yes, I am doing this and I am doing this now!"  I have a love-hate relationship with the construction portion of wardrobe making.  Between that and the fact that I prefer to have linings in most if not all that I make, I figure that it would be a major time saver for me.

Because the rest of my sewing scissors (Dressmakers & Pinking) are Fiskers brand, I decided to keep with that brand.  I purchased the following...

1. Fiskars 24X36 Inch Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
2. Fiskars 45mm Easy Change Ergo Control Rotary Cutter 
3. Fiskars 45mm No-touch Blade Change Replacement Tool Kit

In the Colette Sewing Handbook, it is strongly recommended that if the rotary cutter is the route that you wish to take get the largest mat you can.  As far as I was able to see the size that I purchased was the largest that Fiskers made.  It is rather cool, because it is reversible between a light side with dark markings and a dark side with light markings.  Apparently it is to assist with visibility while cutting but I haven't figured out if it is better to use the light side with light fabric, or the opposite.  I will play around with this some more.

I have not needed to replace the blade yet, but I am prepared.  As for the Rotary Cutters... I love them.   I wish that I had purchased them a long while back.  It was so nice cutting the pattern and the fabric at the same time, while using pattern weights and not having to pin the pattern to the fabric.  It was even nicer that unlike traditional sewing scissors, cutting didn't raise up the fabric.  This way the pattern and the fabric are a closer reflection of the other.  What I also learned from this is not to be timid with the amount of force you use on the cutters.  I was timid in a couple of spot and then had to go over that small section again because it didn't cut.

Because I ordered my new gear, from Amazon in case you didn't pay attention to the above links,  I had a hard time motivating my self to work on my project until I got both the board and cutters.  I did cut all of the yoke and skirt pieces with my new gear but I haven't gotten around to pinning and stitching together yet.

So that has been my crafting for the week.  I am quite tired and really need to be going to bed.  Wish me luck for whatever I may get done this upcoming week. 

Until then...