How to Use the Quilters Select 60mm Rotary Cutter: Tips for Precise Cutting from Either Hand
A rotary cutter is only as good as the control you have over it. If a cutter feels awkward in your non-dominant hand or makes you dread changing the blade, accuracy suffers. The Quilters Select 60mm Rotary Cutter addresses both frustrations: an innovative ambidextrous design that ensures precise cutting from the left or right side, and a unique, easy magnetic blade replacement system designed so you never drop a blade again.
What This Rotary Cutter Is
This is a 60mm rotary cutter from Quilters Select. The 60mm size is the larger format in the line — the cutter is also available in a 45mm blade size, and replacement blade packs are available. Its ambidextrous design means it is made to be used comfortably and precisely from either side, rather than forcing left-handed quilters to adapt to a right-handed tool. When the blade needs changing, the magnetic replacement system holds it in place during the swap, instead of leaving you to pinch a thin, sharp disc between your fingertips.
Why Quilters and Sewists Use It
Rotary cutting is the foundation of most quilting: strips, squares, triangles, and binding all start with a clean, straight cut, and errors at the cutting table carry through every seam that follows. A cutter that works equally well in either hand gives left-handed quilters the same control right-handed quilters take for granted, and lets any cutter switch sides when working around a large piece of fabric instead of walking around the table. The magnetic blade change matters, too — many quilters put off changing a dull blade because the swap feels risky. A system designed to keep the blade from being dropped makes it easier to change blades when they need changing, which keeps cuts cleaner.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Work on a proper cutting surface. Always cut on a self-healing cutting mat on a firm, flat table. Never cut on bare wood, glass, or a wobbly ironing board.
- Square up your fabric first. Press your fabric, align a quilting ruler along your intended cut line, and trim a clean edge before measuring out strips or pieces, so every later measurement starts true.
- Hold the ruler firmly. Press down on the ruler with your non-cutting hand, fingers curled safely away from the ruler's edge, so the ruler cannot shift mid-cut.
- Cut in the hand that suits the setup. Thanks to the ambidextrous design, position the cutter on the left or right side as the layout requires, keeping the blade snug against the ruler's edge.
- Use a steady, even motion. Roll the cutter away from your body in one smooth pass with consistent pressure. Avoid sawing back and forth, which frays edges and chews up your mat.
- Retract or cover the blade immediately. Make closing the blade after every cut a habit, even when you plan to cut again in a few seconds.
Practical Tips
Let a sharp blade do the work — if you find yourself pressing harder, the blade is usually dull, not asking for more pressure. Cut away from your body, keep your ruler hand well back from the cutting path, and never reach across a blade. Change the blade at the first sign of skipped threads or fuzzy edges, using the magnetic system rather than handling a loose blade, and dispose of old blades in a rigid, labeled container.
Care and Storage
Store the cutter with the blade closed, in a drawer, case, or tool caddy where it cannot roll off a table or be reached by children. Keep lint from building up around the blade area, and replace blades with the correct Quilters Select replacement packs for the 60mm size.
Project Ideas
Reach for this cutter for strip-pieced quilts, binding strips, squaring up blocks and finished tops, slicing yardage into fat quarters, and preparing pieces for tote bags, table runners, and placemats. Any project that starts with long, straight cuts from yardage is a natural fit.
Shop the Quilters Select 60mm Rotary Cutter at Linda's Electric Quilters.
