Sewing a quilt - what cutting mat and rotary cutter?

[AuroraBora]

I'm new to sewing quilts and this was originally going to be "do I need a cutting mat and rotary cutter?", but I found an old thread where the consensus was "yes, you do!", so here we are!!

I don't want to fork out loads for equipment in case I realise quilting isn't for me, but I also don't want to buy a cheap cutter that is useless!

So any suggestions for "must have" quilting equipment that doesn't break the bank? I assume I need a ruler too?

Thanks everyone!

I'm relatively new to quilting, my mum is an old hand at it. Definitely a mat, ruler and rotary cutter. Have fun but be warned, it's addictive. My fat quarter fabric addiction is getting serious!

To start, the basics would be a rotary cutter, cutting mat and a 24" by 6" ruler. When I started quilting, I bought a cutting mat that is 18" by 14" but soon found that it is too small so bought a larger one. It's usually suggested to get one that is as big as the space you are going to use it. Omnimat 18" by 24" is the most popular. After trying a few others, I use an Olfa 24mm rotary cutter.
Good luck, Aurora. Don't forget to show us what you make.

Northender I'm slightly worried I will get addicted! I've already seen so many fat quarter bundles on eBay that I want!

Thanks jerry, I've seen this cutter on Amazon and it's well rated and fairly cheap: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000BNLLHW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484768774&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=rotary+cutter&dpPl=1&dpID=41mSsIDRf%2BL&ref=plSrch

Does that look like a good one?

I also spotted an A3 size mat that's cheap and highly rated, but am I likely to get fed up with the small size quickly?

Olfa cutters are the gold standard & it's easy to get replacement blades.
Why wouldn't you go for a cheaper version. I have problems with my hands so I don't want to have a cutter be one I have to squeeze.

A3 is dinky winks size. My matt is 23" by 17" grid, which I have been happy with (I have made .... 9 quilts now?)

You need the plastic measuring ruler, you have to decide now whether to work in metric or inches (sorry). Most people go for inches, at least it's easy to get patterns & divide into quarters & eighths. If you work in imperial units, a good size is the 3.5" by 18.5".

So do you have a sewing machine or do you quite like hand sewing?

it's an expensive hobby, btw, in case you didn't know.

A2 matt for £9.

that's 16 x 23 inches, apparently, would do. But I think (?) that one comes with metric grid... told you, you have to commit early!

Thanks lljkk, good to know Olfa is the brand to buy. I'll probably buy from Amazon because of Prime tbf even if it's a touch more money.

I'm going to work in inches, it seems wrong to work in cm for sewing! So A3 is too small... thanks for the A2 mat link, I agree that it looks like it's metric though, I'm gonna have a google for an imperial mat now and a ruler.

I have a sewing machine, I'm far too lazy for hand sewing

I know this is going to be an expensive hobby which is fine, I just can see me buying really expensive equipment, making one quilt and then never doing it again so I need a balance price wise to start off with.

My first mat was metric on one side and inches on the other.

Definitely work in inches.

You think the equipment is expensive? Wait till you start buying fabric that you don't need.

two/double sided measuring system is too clever, @temporarilyjerry.

It's a pain to do metric in other than inches.
I am selling some fabric on Ebay!!

I am selling some fabric on Ebay!!

Oooooh, fabric!

So I bought a ruler, the cutter and a double sided A2 mat from Amazon for around £35, which isn't bad!

Thanks Francis I'll have a look at the feet I've got with my machine

I'm just going to keep it simple and do squares. It's for a baby so it'll be a small quilt, and I'm hoping the simplicity of just squares will look good!

I have 4 different polka dot fabrics all in grey and white (to go with the mum-to-be's nursery theme).

In my head it looks classy!

Yes, yes to the previous poster who mentioned the 1/4 inch machine foot.

So I've been looking for a 1/4 inch foot and I'm struggling! Where can I get one from and do I need one with all the horizontal lines on that guide you where to stop?

My machine is an old basic singer, probably from the 80s, and I've previously bought a generic zipper foot that fitted on fine (if any of that helps at all!).

Thanks!

Thanks So I measured and my current, bog-standard foot looks like the distance from needle to edge of the foot will give me 1/4 inch. So if I use that as a guide and also do your tape trick then I'll be alright when I'm piecing my squares together I think!

What about when I get to the actual quilting part, will I need a special foot for that? I've read lots of sites that say a walking foot is a must so all the fabric moves together evenly.

A walking foot is helpful if you're going to machine-quilt, yes. But they do tend to be expensive. I hoard enormous amounts of fabric and fool myself that one day I will make dozens of stunning quilts quilt a bit and I tend to hand-quilt because I find it relaxing and I like the home-made look of it. I haven't tried machine quilting on any scale, what about the rest of you lot out there? I'd imagine it could get tricky without a walking foot?

I've been hoarding fabric and fooling myself I'll get round to quilting for about three years now and have only just got a walking foot. In the past, I have done stitch in the ditch or shadow quilting.

What's shadow quilting jerry?

As I'm only doing squares i did think I might just stitch in the ditch or follow the edges of the squares, so just straight lines basically!

Shadow quilting is that, Aurora, following the edges of the squares (or whatever shape your pieces are. It makes the quilt a bit puffier than stitch in the ditch.