Wednesday, August 17, 2011
WANTED: Unbiased Accuquilt Reviews
Hey there! Thanks for dropping by and spending some time with me!!
I have updated a few giveaways on my sidebar and let me tell you they get better and better every week. Stitchers are a generous bunch! Glad to be in such wonderful company.
If you have read my blog, you know that I read alot (stitch a little), collect even more, and love having giveaways.
Anywhoooo, through my blog-hopping, I have encountered countless Accuquilt giveaways and over-the-top reviews of a cutter that can do no wrong. Usually these reviews are from bloggers who have received an Accuquilt Go! Baby from Accuquilt and are having a free giveaway as well sponsored by Accuquilt.
So, I am looking for unbiased reviews of Accuquilt products. Have you used them? Do you like them? Would you buy them? What's the downside? If you have had any contact with one of the babies.... let me know via a comment. You would be helping lots of other stitchers who have the same question!!
Remember that I will have a giveaway once I reach 100 readers and then subsequent giveaways at each 50+ marker. If you are a new reader, I would be glad to trade blogroll space.
Curious stitches...
CSQ
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8 comments:
I have an Accuquilt GO! cutter. I've used it twice, I think.
It was not a wise purchase for me. Yes, it is fast and quick, however, I have found I don't enjoy fast and quick. I like the process. There is just enough fabric waste that it makes me crazy.
Hi Amy:
Thanks for passingby and giving your honest opinion.
Regarding the fabric issue: I noticed that when I watched many youtube videos showing the accuquilt cutting. They folded everything so there was a lot of negative space if you were lucky.
There was one person who used the negative space as a border. When you think that fabric is expensive as it is, losing all of that, is painful.
I have also seen that some people use it for scrap fabric too.
I have also noticed that the dies are not straight on the foam itself. That is from the markings that people have drawn of the die so that they can get the fabric on the die perfectly. Now, being a novice, I don't know how to place fabric on the die so that it goes with the grain. If the die is on an angle, how do you put the fabric on it with the grain.
Thsnks for your reply to my question Amy. I did go to a craft shop once where I was able to make a block and use pencil lines for the blocking. Teacher said to sew on that line and AFTER to cut a 1/4inch around it. That way I always knew I would have the 1/4inch seam.
Yeah, but then, the lines wouldn't line up. ARRRRRRGHHHH. I have to start getting on the proverbial quilting horse again. i understand the process you mention, that is why I can't understand the sewing machine process. I would rather have it handsewn.
Just me....Thanks again Amy,
Maria
I've never used one and have seen them on other blogs. Makes me want one!
I long to have one and have entered countless giveaways with no success.
Kerry gives a good review here
http://verykerryberry.blogspot.com/ if you want to check it out.
Just discovered your blog and am a new follower :)
Margaret
I do not have one, but I've talked to friends that do. I think if you want to cut out difficult shapes, like hexies, circles or apple cores, it would be a wise purchase. However, I would check your local quilting shop to see if they have a machine. If they do, they may be willing to do that for you, for a small fee, and it would be much cheaper than buying the machine. I'm with the other poster on the fabric waste issue. If you are using it to cut strips, or rectangles or squares, use the rotary cutter, and save your fabric.
I have a GO! and truly love it, but I don't think it is the end all solution. With respect to fabric waste, it doesn't take long to build expertise to where you don't have much waste at all. Plus, I find I now collect scraps that would have previously gone into the trash. Pieces too small that no sane quilter would ever want to cut with a ruler & rotary cutter can easily be cut into usable pieces with the AccuQuilt. I recommend keeping 1-2 ziplocks of scraps and when the bag gets full pull them out and cut on 1 or 2 dies. Take these accurately cut pieces and place them back into a bag, labeled for the respective die (e.g. value pack, etc.). Pretty soon you'll have enough pieces to make blocks and then enough blocks to make a quilt...all with pieces that would have been tossed. Thus, I feel the AccuQuilt actually saves me money.
SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
SewCalGal:
Those are great tips. At first glance it seems that there would be a bit of waste. But it makes sense that the more you practice with it, the more you learn to be cost effective. I see that people trace the dies so that they can see them better.
Great having you here. I will definitely pass by your blog soon.
CSQ
OK, so I don't own an Accuquilt Go! cutter but I do own a Sizzix Big Shot. It is a heck of a lot cheaper than an Accuilt Go! and I can use the Accuquilt dies in the Big Shot but you can't use Sizzix dies in the Accuquilt Go! I can also use it for scrapbooking and paper cutting as well. In my opinion, far more versatile than the Go! Cheaper and does a lot more I think. Westminster fabrics have even commisioned some quilting dies for the Sizzix and I believe Sizzix have just brought out some new quilting dies.
Hope that helps and I don't have any affiliation with Sizzix, I'm just pleased with my Big Shot.
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