Oh hai, peeps!
Anyone use these fab Olfa cutting wheels at all?
I use mine for a lot of cutting; mostly bias binding for HongKong seaming but also for a lot of straight edges as they appear in dressmaking patterns too. I even use them for cutting out full pattern pieces sometimes too, especially if my fabric is that slippery dippery silk charmeuse with a crazy mind of its own, that slips and slithers about annoyingly as one is trying to cut out one’s expensive new blouse (grrr) My tried and true modus operandi is to plop a Vogue magazine, a bumper one like the March or September issue is the best, onto my paper pattern pieces on the fabric, all on the cutting board. No pins, all is held in place beautifully, and one just slowly navigates that wheel around the curves… what? Doesn’t everybody do that? Way more control than scissors, I promise… and also especially good if you don’t want gaping pin pricks in your piece of exquisite but tightly woven silk.
I’ve been using the same blade for (sit down now) cough cough ten years…. Embarrassing, huh? No wonder my edges were looking mighty scrappy lately and needed a double going-over… anyhoo I remembered I had a spare blade somewhere that I had grabbed randomly during a 40% off Spotlight sale months ago, so I hunted it out….
and found my spare is a 60mm blade, whereas my cutter takes a 45mm. Doh! (face palm) Why I have not ever noticed this minor-but-major detail at any moment in time over the past months; oh wait. I actually do stuff like that all the time, hehe.
So long and shorty; this blade (just the blade, mind) is looking for a new home.
Just leave a comment, if there is more than one person interested I’ll do a draw. Oh and might be a good idea to check that your cutter takes a 60mm, first… 🙂
This is just a question as I don't have a rotary cutter. Do you think a 45mm one is ok or would a 60mm one be better? I'm thinking of buying one soon and I'd love your advice.
45 is better, in my opinion.
Wow – providence – I was planning to head to the sewing supplies shop on the weekend to replace my 60mm blade! So I'll hit pause on that and 'enter' your give away 🙂
Mine's a 45 too. 10 years, whoa! I replace mine about 4 times a year. But then, if I am quilting, I want to stack several layers of broadcloth and cut them all at once, so this is usually what prompts me to change the blade. Aren't the blades expensive!? I am always surprised at the cost of such a little thing.
Ok.Through your post I just found out that those things are not exclusively for quilting… and they save some trouble for slippery fabric. Why didn´t anybody tell me before?? Now I´ll have to buy one, and aren´t they expensive!
Thanks for your comment on my dress, very much appreciated.
I have mine for 1 years and still going…
You have no idea how many times I have come close to doing exactly the same thing! I have more than one rotary cutter and neither of them are 60 mm. I am sure you will find a new home for it!
I have a 45cm one too that I bought when Big W in Brisbane City did a sale of all their sewing stuff and got it for $10 – what a great buy – but I've yet to use it because (I'm embarrassed to say) I am frightened of it! How silly is that? I'm not especially clumsy or useless or anything that makes me think I'd cut myself and yet the times I've taken it out to use it in the last 2 years have been many but no actual cutting takes place. I still keep it in the hard plastic wrapping in case it jumps out at me!
I have 3 sizes of Rotary cutters, I'm not sure on the mm…….I don't need you to send me one so far, I just wanted to say what a hoot you are!! You crack me up sometimes. That's exactly the 2% of the time you are not simply amazing me 🙂 Thank you as always for your encouragement. I also have have rotary cutter sharpeners ooohhh la la hehe Rotary cutting and quilting are like uh…..peas and carrots ?? I thank you for the tip on cutting out pattern peices though. Happy March!
I can't believe you got 10 yrs from 1 blade!!! I've been seeing for 2 yrs and I've gone through 10 blades. And I don't change them till they really don't cut well anymore!
Oh, I should say thanks for giveaway but my blades are 45s.
I don't use that size either. Just popping in to say "Thank you" for your compliment on my oversized, sloppy grey tee 🙂 I am snowed in today and will probably be wearing exactly the same outfit!
I have a 60mm and it needs a new blade (though not as badly as yours…)! I'm in for the draw.
I have one although not sure of the size as I don't use it as often as I should. For what it is worth, my weights are baked beans and tinned fish!
I use my 60mm Olfa cutter all the time for cutting out my garments, the bag I made last week, am in love with it. My darling DH used silicone to stick two metal washers together which I use for my weights.
Mine is a 45, so dont enter me. But I have so had those palm to face moments lol.. Now if your doing a drawing for the red dress in the previous post tee hee.. I think its my size enter me in that :O)… ROFL :O).. well you cant blame a girl for trying.
Thanks for your interest ladies! I drew poppykettle's name…
thanks for this post. I now know I should buy a 45 mm if I ever decide for one. I have been holding back because the mats seem awfully expensive