A rotary cutter is a tool used in patchwork & quilting, sewing and dressmaking to quickly and accurately cut multiple layers of fabric. It is more accurate than a pair of scissors since one continuous cut is made rather than a series of cuts with a pair of scissors.
In 1979 Mr. Yoshio Okada, the founder of OLFA, invented the rotary cutter. This cleverly designed cutter literally reshaped quilting and crafting.
The rotary cutter consists of a round blade that fits through a spindle or shaft on a longer handle. You hold the handle in your hand and push the round rotary blade along. The blade rotates as it travels and cuts the fabric as you push it.
The blades are very sharp and should be made of high quality steel. There are lost of different designs on the market with lots of different handles which influences the angle that you hold the rotary cutter at.
Two other pieces of equipment are needed. A rotary cutting mat and a ruler usually made of acrylic.
Rotary Cutting Mat
If you are a crafter you are probably familiar with self-healing mats for use with a craft knife. We don’t sell these! We sell Rotary Cutting Mats and it is important to understand the difference.
Self healing mats are made of a soft material. After a knife blade cuts into the mat the cut closes over (“heals”) . If you use a rotary cutter on a self-healing craft mat you shorten the blade’s useful life as the very sharp edge is dulled as it sinks unnecessarily deep into the soft mat.
Rotary Cutting mats are made of a harder material that allows the blade to roll across the surface cutting the fabric and only slightly into the mat which keeps the blade sharper for longer. You cannot use a craft knife on this type of mat - you will shred the mat to pieces!
You need to use a specific type of ruler with rotary cutters because they need to act as a guide to the cutter. If you use a normal ruler then the rotary cutter will either cut into the ruler or it will not act as a guide and it will ride up over the ruler and possibly cut your steadying hand.
Most rotary cutter rulers are made of clear acrylic so that you can see the fabric underneath and have markings and guides to help you. They are approximately 1/8" thick.
