May 20, 2010

AccuQuilt - Go! Cutter Review

I was recently contacted by the nice people at accuquilt.  They wanted to see if I would like to use and review their Go! Cutter!  My immediate response was YES!  I've seen Jackie talk about her Studio Cutter the last year or so, and admired from afar, knowing that I would probably not be owning anything like it....Now I do!  :)

I've never used anything like this, at first I was a bit incredulous.  Really?  That will cut my fabric?  It's just gray foam...
I went through my scraps, and pulled a bunch to cut. (I only got sidetracked for 30 minutes - organizing!)
 It's SUPER simple to use, the gray foam goes up, then your fabric on top.
 The cutting mat goes on top, to sandwich everything together - then crank it through the roller.
On the other side you get your shapes - 

 These are half-square triangles with the dog ears cut off for you already.
and full width of fabric 2 1/2" strips - just like a Jelly Roll, and perfect for bindings!
 After getting warmed up, I decided I wanted to really cut a quilt out!  I've really like the look of tumbler quilts, but never wanted to take the time to cut all those shapes.  With the go-cutter I can cut up to 6 layers of quilting fabrics - and they come out perfect, every time!  I pressed and folded my fabric, added the mat and ta-da--
 Less than a hour later a huge stack of tumblers, ready to go into a quilt top!  Did you read that?  Less than an hour!
 Aren't they pretty!?  I had so much fun, and I was cutting fabric! - no worrying about the ruler slipping, or where my kids are in relation to the rotary cutter.
Really good experience with accuquilt so far!  I can't wait to add to my collection of dies :)


Have you ever used a Go! Cutter?  Do you have a favorite die shape/size?  I'd love to hear your experience.

Thanks again to AccuQuilt for the opportunity to review your product!
Amy




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31 comments:

Lindsay said...

very cool! looks like you had a great time reviewing!! :)

Cheri C. said...

I have one and like it but I can't get the 5" square die down... try it ... let me know if it gets all your cuts accurate. I know they tell you "how" I'm supposed to cut it but when you have a pile of scraps, I just don't figure out which way is which... I cut several Heather Ross prints at one time and they were all about 1/4" too short. I think I may have had too many fabrics at one time but let me know what you find out... Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Great review I wish i had one now.

TracyLou said...

How awesome for you!!!
My husband went with me to look at one he said they were ingenious - the design is so simple, they should last a really long time.
One thing I wonder about is ~ it seems like there would be more fabric waste using the cutter?
Also - the dies look like they are sort of set in a bit cock-eyed (specifically on the square one, I'm not sure about others) so your pieces would end up with a bit of stretch to them from being cut slightly bias - wouldn't they? When I asked about that at the QS, they said, the grain doesn't matter for quilts. That just doesn't seem right to me... your thoughts?

Anonymous said...

I have one, and I love it! I *really* want that tumbler die. My only complaint is that I think the dies are a bit on the expensive side...

Natalia from Piece N Quilt said...

I'm glad you like it! I really want to come visit!!!!!

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Wow Amy!! All those tumblers in an hour! That's fantastic.
Don't have one so I can help you on hints, but I would think all the circles for applique would be awesome.

Jocelyn said...

Wow that is amazing. I have only seen it once at a quilt shop, but no demo. It sure would cut down on cutting time.

Wendy said...

Wow lots of tumblers in an hour! The strips would go quickly also and this would be great for yoyos and hexies. I so want one of these, but cannot afford one at this time. Maybe later, maybe Chistmas.

Sandra Schwab said...

Amy, you're evil. Pure evil. :) I'm now lusting after the Go! Cutter, and I'm seriously thinking about ordering one during my six-week stay in Canada this summer.

Stacey said...

i do not have one of these, but i see everybody raving about them!! it sure looks and sounds like fun!!

lesthook said...

It's on my dream list for someday!

Trudi said...

Still dreaming! thanks for sharing Amy :)

SewCalGal said...

Glad you like the AccuQuilt GO! I love it. There are so many tricks & tips to help cut that also speed up the process of cutting and minimizing waste, but it is also easy to use out of the box.

AccuQuilt website (www.accuquilt.com), youtube and facebook have some great tips!

Can't wait to see your tumbler quilt. Beautiful fabrics you selected.

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

Amber said...

Wow - very cool!! Great review too :-)

Sara said...

I have one coming (got it as a promotion when I traded in (up) my pfaff). Cannot wait to try it out - if it ever gets here.

Mary said...

Wow, that sounds SO awesome! Maybe I'll have to ask Santa for one of those :-) (Ha, maybe I should tell him now so he can start saving!)

Anonymous said...

Whoa! It's like MAGIC!

Anonymous said...

I'm with Sew Cal Gal... I've got one and love it! What I adore is the fact I can quickly make my own charm packs with the fabrics *I* want to use...

I try to cut and fold my fabric carefully, making sure I eliminate waste and get accurate cuts. Once you find the rhythm, it's great.

I've only got a few dies -- circles, 5" square, 6.5" square, and the die that came with the machine.

audreypawdrey said...

Thanks for the review! I would love one of these. It is on my list-maybe for Christmas!

Amy said...

Amy - How wonderful that they gave you a cutter to review! It looks fabulous. My husband actually tried to talk me into getting one a year ago. I didn't think I needed it?! How dumb was that. :)

Unknown said...

So glad that you like the Go! Isn't it wonderful to be cutting all that fabric at one time!! The diamond quilt that I am working on was all cut with the AccuQuilt! Saves tons of time. I am looking forward to seeing all the lovely quilts that you will be making with the Go!

Deb Robertson Writes said...

That looks amazing. I don't think I've seen one in NZ and wondered what people were talking about on blogs. That just makes such a neat job doesn't it.

Terriaw said...

I have been wondering about this new gadget, so it's wonderful to see it in action and hear how it works. Now I'm convinced I might need one, especially since cutting is not my favorite part of sewing or quilting. Appreciate the preview! Do you get to keep this one? How lucky!

Angie said...

This is an awesome product. My mom just got one and she can't stop "cutting" her fabric.

Heather said...

thanks for posting that terrific review. All the pictures were really helpful.

Allie said...

Oh Amy that looks like too much fun!

Fresh Poppy Design said...

That is soo neat! Thanks for the party, we're so excited!

Cecilia said...

I love my Go! My husband bought it for me 2 years ago when it first came out. I have used it alot and can't imagine being without it. I'm glad you are enjoying yours.

Trish said...

Looks sew easy, Amy. How does it know what sized shapes to cut? Can you set your own or do you need a separate grey mat for each shape?

Anonymous said...

TracyLou said... 5 ::: You don't line your fabric up with the sides of the die, you line your fabric up with the lines of the cutters, so therefore you are not cutting on the bias. Hope this helps. I have a "GO" and love it. I've made the tumbler 'flag' quilt it was so fun to make.
Jenelle - Portland OREGON