What Is a Dual-Side Cutting Mat?
The Quilters Select 36" x 60" Dual Side Cutting Mat is a large, self-healing, multi-layer cutting surface for rotary cutting. At 36 inches by 60 inches, it is the largest mat in the Quilters Select line, giving you a generous work area for yardage and large quilt pieces. It is usable on both sides: one side has a light background and the other has a dark background, so you can flip it over depending on the fabric you are cutting.
The surface is printed with one-inch lines and two sets of corresponding numbers around the perimeter. Those numbers read left to right and right to left, so you never lose your place or have to count backwards. The mat also carries 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1" markings, as well as multiple angles for angled cuts.
Why Quilters and Sewists Use It
Accurate cutting is the foundation of accurate piecing. If strips, squares, and borders start out slightly off, those small errors add up across a quilt top. A large, clearly marked mat helps you measure once, line up your ruler with confidence, and cut cleanly.
The two-sided design solves a common visibility problem. Dark fabrics can disappear against a dark surface, and light fabrics can wash out on a light one. With this mat, you use the lighter side to cut dark fabrics and the dark side to cut lighter fabrics, giving you the highest contrast and the most visual acuity for every cut.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Choose the right side. Cutting a dark fabric? Work on the light side. Cutting a pale or white fabric? Flip the mat to the dark side so the edges and markings stand out.
- Lay the mat flat. Place it on a firm, flat table with the full surface supported, so nothing flexes or shifts while you cut.
- Position your fabric. Lay the fabric smoothly on the mat, aligning a straight edge with one of the one-inch grid lines. Use the perimeter numbers — reading left to right or right to left, whichever suits your working direction — to confirm your starting point.
- Line up your ruler. Match the ruler's markings to the mat's grid. Use the finer 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" markings when you need measurements between the inch lines.
- Cut with steady pressure. Hold the ruler firmly and cut along its edge, keeping your fingers well clear of the cutting path. Check that the cut went all the way through before moving the ruler.
- Use the angle markings. When a pattern calls for angled cuts, align your fabric and ruler with the mat's printed angle guides instead of estimating by eye.
Practical Tips
Work from the grid, not from memory: re-check the perimeter numbers before a long cut, especially on wide yardage where it is easy to drift by a quarter inch. Take advantage of the mat's size — the 60-inch length lets you lay out long borders without folding fabric into layers that can shift. Rotate the mat or walk around the table rather than reaching awkwardly across it, and always cut away from your body.
Care and Storage
Keep the mat flat in storage so it stays flat in use; a large mat stored rolled or leaning can develop a curve that makes cutting less reliable. Keep it away from heat and direct sunlight, and wipe away lint and loose threads after each session so the grid stays easy to read. Because both sides are working surfaces, check both sides when you clean it, and flip it regularly to spread wear across the whole mat.
Project Ideas
A mat this size shines on big jobs: cutting borders and sashing for bed quilts, squaring up large panels and backings, and breaking down full widths of fabric into strips for strip-pieced quilts. It is equally handy for batch cutting — laying out fabric for a whole project at once and cutting every unit to size in one session.
Shop the Quilters Select 36" x 60" Dual Side Cutting Mat at Linda's Electric Quilters.
