Sewing is only as accurate as the cutting that came before it. A piece cut three millimetres out will fight you at every seam, and no amount of careful stitching brings it back.
There are two ways to cut fabric well: scissors, which every sewist already knows, and a rotary cutter, which many have never tried. Each is better at different jobs, and most people who sew regularly end up owning both.
What a rotary cutter is
Picture a pizza wheel with a razor-sharp blade. You lay the fabric flat on a cutting mat, hold a ruler on the line, and roll the blade along its edge. Because the fabric never lifts off the table, the cut is perfectly straight, and you can slice through several layers in one pass.
| Rotary cutter | Fabric scissors | |
|---|---|---|
| Straight lines | Faster and more accurate | Good with care |
| Curves and armholes | Awkward on tight curves | The better tool |
| Several layers at once | Yes | Two at most |
| Slippery fabric | Very good, the fabric stays flat | Fabric shifts as you lift it |
| What else you need | A cutting mat and ruler | Nothing |
The rotary set-up
For quilting, bias strips and straight cuts
Quilted Bear 45 mm rotary cutter
KES 2,200
The 45 mm blade is the size to start with. It is large enough to cut long straight lines through several layers and small enough to steer around a gentle curve. If you quilt, make bags or cut binding strips, this will save you hours.
See the rotary cutterYou cannot use one without the other
Quilted Bear self-healing cutting mat
From KES 4,500
A rotary blade must always be used on a cutting mat. The mat protects your table, keeps the blade sharp, and closes up again after each cut. The printed grid also lets you measure and square up your fabric as you go.
See the cutting matSafety first
A rotary blade is as sharp as a razor. Close the guard every single time you put the cutter down, always cut away from your body, and keep it well out of reach of children.
Scissors still matter
The pair you keep for life
Clover Ultimate scissors
KES 9,500
Good dressmaking shears are an investment, and you feel the difference on the first cut. The blades glide through fabric right to the tip without chewing or folding it, which is what gives you clean notches and smooth curves. Look after them and they will outlast your sewing machine.
See the Clover scissorsFor threads and tight corners
Pony embroidery scissors
KES 900
Small, fine-pointed scissors that live next to your machine. Use them to snip threads close to the fabric, clip into seam allowances and trim appliqué, jobs where big shears are clumsy.
See the embroidery scissorsRules that keep your cutting sharp
Fabric scissors cut fabric only. Paper blunts them faster than anything, so keep a cheap pair for patterns.
Measure twice. A Prym tape measure at KES 1,400 does not stretch with age the way cheap ones do.
Press your fabric before cutting. Creases become errors.
Change a rotary blade as soon as it starts skipping threads.
Hold them before you buy
Scissors are personal. Come and try the weight and grip at our shop on the 1st floor of Sarit Centre.
Shop cutting and measuringOr call us on +254 798 316860
In Stitches is the authorised Clover and Prym distributor in Kenya.
Prices correct at the time of writing.
