cstucke80 Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I am looking at the Studio cutter. Any suggestions as to likes or dislikes on this cutter. Or is there something else out that I should look for. I am trying to decide whether to buy it or not. Need help deciding? Connie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I have the studio cutter and several dies. Be prepared for fabric waste though. Other than that..it is a great tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I have a studio cutter and I really like it. I don't find that I really waste that much fabric, you just have to learn how to fold it so that you have little waste. I prefer the strip dies over most of the other dies. You can always mark the strip dies and cut diamonds and squares. If you get some of the other dies make sure you get the dies that have more than one shapes on it. I prefer the medium ones there there might be a long row of the same shape. I hope that makes sense. I didn't think about that when I first got my studio cutter and now that I know that look at the dies differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oma Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 All I can say is I love mine and have never regretted buying it for one second. There is nothing I dislike about it. It's sort of big so I have a designated spot for it. If you are short on space this may be a factor for you. Like Heidi, I don't find that I have much waste either. I can cut an entire layer cake bundle in four passes and strips...OMG...takes moments to cut perfect 2½" strips or what ever other size I need. My advice is to watch for the sale though because I paid full price for mine and I've noticed that several times a year it's at least $200 off. That's a big savings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.A Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I love mine. It depends how you plan to use it. I have used the strip cutters quite a bit and it's been really helpful with circles. I've used my alphabet dies too. Oma is right...it will take up some space. I keep mine on a rolling kitchen cart from IKEA with most of the dies stored on the shelves below. Register on the website to receive emails on sales & take advantage of the daily deals too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing bear Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I have the Studio and love it. But I learned a lesson .... just because it's a big boy tool and the info claims you can cut layers and layers, be sensible in how many layers you are cutting. I was using the 6.5" square and needed a boatload of 6.5" squares so I was layering the fabric 8 to 10 layers. First of all, some of the layers weren't cut completely, and then I found out the hard way that the measurements get distorted by all those layers of fabrics, so several of those top layer squares weren't 6.5" ... more like 6.25". I actually measured the dye itself because I wasn't believing what I was seeing ... and the dye is spot on. So ... a lot of layers will cause distortion. I typically use up to 5 and 6 layers with great results. And cleaning the dye after use is a must in order to remove fabric remnants from the dye cutting slots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.waits Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Love mine too! I use strip cutters the most, but I also have some applique dies that I use frequently. There's a little more waste with the applique dies, but as Heidi says, it's all a matter of how you fold the fabric. The amount of time it saves me to cut the applique pieces is well worth the little bit of wasted fabric (that would also be wasted when cutting by hand due to the irregular shapes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 i should add that my favorite dies are the 5" (4 squares), 10" (2 square) and 10-1/2" (2 squares). I use these sizes alot! on the fabric waste..Heidi is correct, if you learn to properly fold your fabric...the waste isn't that bad. My friend cuts all quilts out with her Studio and you should see the bags of 'scraps' that i receive. I can usually cut small tumblers or triangles with what she gives me! i guess that is a win/win for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Ha! I opened this thread cause I thought it said studio CLUTTER. I was hoping someone had posted a pic of their studio and it would be messier than mine. A mind is a terrible thing to lose. Ask me how I know.... I don't even have a studio cutter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Ha! I opened this thread cause I thought it said studio CLUTTER. I was hoping someone had posted a pic of their studio and it would be messier than mine. A mind is a terrible thing to lose. Ask me how I know.... I don't even have a studio cutter! Hey Meg we'll be happy to help you clutter it up more I thought I was the only one that read things differently and then laughed at myself when I saw what the topic really was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Meg...you are too funny! Love ya girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anicatt Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Well I have both Studio Cutter AND Clutter - and love 'em both! hehehe I have actually saved fabric with my cutter. I used to have several scrap bags full of bits that were too good to throw but too odd to use. Now I have just x2 scrap bags and several boxes of Useable Shapes - squares / hexagons / circles in various sizes etc:O) Now all I have to do is sew 'em together and quilt 'em! hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue E. Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I have both the Studio and the Go! I love them both and use them all the time with very little waste. I cut my fabric strips much nearer than what AccuQuilt tells you and I have only about 1/8" waste on all sides of my cuts. If you are careful with how you plan your cuts and layering your fabric, there is little waste. I also teach classes on using the Go! -- both general info classes (lecture/demo) and hands-on. My students are amazed at what can be done if you think ahead and plan your cuts. I am teaching a mystery quilt right now that uses about 9 dies such as squares, triangles, half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles. Making flying geese using the half-square and quarter-square triangles is easy and accurate. I say, if you are thinking of getting the Studio - go for it! I do recommend that you do NOT purchase the sets of Studio dies for the 8", 10" and 12" blocks. I purchased these and never use them - they waste a ton of fabric just because of the way they are laid out. I would recommend you get the Go! dies and the Go! adaptor instead. These are laid out much better and do not waste a lot of fabric. I do like the bigger dies and the strip cutters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted February 1, 2013 Report Share Posted February 1, 2013 Studio Clutter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tella Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 I have the Sizzix cutter and really love it....have strip dies, squares, triangles,etc and appliqué dies ,...it take Go dies too so that is why I liked it...if you don't want the big studio the Sizzix may be enough..,bigger and sturdier than the Go....I am taking it to the guild tomorrow to cut jelly rolls and charm packs we are selling at our next meeting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Well, after several years of saying NO to the Studio Cutter, I finally gave in and purchased it on sale last week. Now to clear some space for it! Several of the dies I wanted were out of stock, including the 2 1/2" strip cutter, but I did get one of the larger combo sets. I think I'll have a lot of fun with this with my granddaughters. I have WAY too much fabric and hope to make quick work of making some kits up for my quilt guild's We Care donation quilts. Sure wish I could "borrow" dies from a library like I do books! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstucke80 Posted February 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 I took the plunge on the Studio Cutter also. I did get the combos of 12" and 10" last week while they were on sale. I am hoping those were a good choice. I also got in on the 10" square die. I am trying to make room for it as well. Good time to clean up things. I have a space that is 24 " I hope that gives enough or I will have to go to plan B or C. Either way i am making a home for her. Thanks everyone for you ideas. Connie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Darlene and Connie you will be amazed how quickly you can cut out those blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MastiffMomQlt Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 I have the Sizzix Pro & I love it.10 + layers at a time, no problem. I find that by starching, pressing & carefully positioning fabric (always be mindful of grain-line!) I've never had an issue of shifting. I am a lover of scrap quilts so there is no such thing as fabric waste at all. I use every bit of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstucke80 Posted February 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Oh my gosh! To my surprise it came today the studio that is. I only ordered it Thursday or Friday. Here it sits at my door and I have torn up my room rearanging for her. Well I guess that will only make it be easier to clean up what looks could of been a bull dozer went through. Those were from my husbands mouth anyway. Now to clean, set it up and play. What dies do you recommend to watch for on specials ? The ones that would be used the most. If you could do it over again which ones would you not go to. I was able to get in on the specials of the block sets 12" & 10" I think. I also got the Rose of Sharon # 2 I already had the Go number # 1. I also took advantage of the 10" block for layer cake size sqaures. I am sure I will have to hold off on any more for now unless they have a really great special on something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.waits Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 If I had it to do again, I would get more of the strip cutters. In particular the 1.5". I use the 2.5" so much it's not even funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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