Quilting Cutting Tools
Read a quilting tool’s measurements before you buy
Start with the pattern’s cut size
Start with the cut size printed in your pattern. A piece you trim to 4½ inches can be the same one the block diagram labels 4 inches finished, once a quarter-inch seam has been taken at both opposite edges. This is why a square-up tool can show two sizes for the same line. In the Tucker Trimmer I instructions, the 1–6 inch finished range corresponds to 1½–6½ inch trim sizes. Its 7-inch acrylic body is the space the ruler occupies on your table.
Measure the cutting path
For long strips, look at both the reach and the interval between marks. The Stripology XL takes up 17¾ × 22 inches, but its slots are 14¾ inches long. Compare the slot reach with the fabric span you want to cut under the ruler. The half-inch spacing is the interval between cuts made without shifting the fabric. A pattern calling for quarter-inch widths requires a positioning step using the maker’s offset marks. A broad worktable alone does not solve an increment mismatch.
Match the die to the mat and machine
For a machine die, write down the raw shape, the machine model, the die item number, the board size and the mat item number. With the compact AccuQuilt 55684 strip die, a 2½-inch cut strip and a 6 × 12-inch board describe different things. Use the raw width to compare with the pattern and the board to find the matching 55112 mat. Check the machine column in the maker’s chart before ordering.