The inventions of some tools have been absolutely ground breaking for quilters. The rotary cutter, for example, changed the way quilters cut their fabric. The new way meant less time cutting and more time sewing. More time sewing directly equated to more quilts or more pieces in the quilts produced. The rotary cutter also set a higher standard for accuracy and the quilted blocks matched more accurately, giving new quilters a quicker satisfaction with their new hobby. I know I would not be quilting today if not for the invention of the rotary cutter.
As in many new inventions, there are others that come along afterward to improve on the original. As an engineer, I believe there is always the possibility of doing better on a second, third, or fourth generation of a product. For that reason, I never buy a car in its first model year; I like to wait until the “bugs” are worked out. The darling invention of the quilting world, the rotary cutter, has been redesigned to include a grip with a more ergonomic orientation. I present to you the Martelli Ergonomic Rotary Cutter. This cutter is available in both a left and right hand format and uses the same blades as other cutters. However, it has a very different orientation in your hand from your standard Olfa or Omnigrid Cutter.
The traditional rotary cutter has you extend your lower arm and twist your wrist with your thumb on top. This is an unnatural position and puts your body at risk for injury due to the extra twist in your wrist. As I have presented in previous newsletters, having a cutting surface that is 6” below your elbow can help the ergonomics of using a standard cutter. This gets you the right leverage and keeps you from hitching your shoulder up while trying to twist your wrist and cut.
In contrast, the Martelli Rotary cutter is held like you hold a bicycle handle bar, with your palm facing down (no unnatural twist). The only difference from holding a bicycle handle is that you should extend your index finger along the spine of the cutter, which will give you more stability and control. It will feel awkward the first couple of times you use it, but stick to it and you will be sold forever. The cutter blade is held closer to the center of your hand and quickly begins to feel like an extension of your body. You get leverage on the point of contact without straining your wrist, arm and shoulder. You will also tend to put less side load on the cutter trying to keep it next to the ruler, which equates to less ruler slip.
What you will also find is that you can work at a much higher surface height for cutting. The perfect cutting surface height with a Martelli cutter is just the blade height below your elbow. This also helps my eyesight, since my glasses focal length is set for my sewing machine needle ergonomics and the neutral position for sewing and cutting are now the same with respect to my upper body (see newsletter # xX for Sewing machine needle focal length adjustment).
Any rotary cutter can be dangerous. You probably know a quilter that has gone to the emergency room to get a slice stitched up, and may be unlucky enough to be that quilter. Rotary cutters come with guards that should be locked closed every time we finish a cut so as to reduce the likelihood of injury. The Martelli has a simple finger flip to close which quickly becomes second nature. To open, the cutter need simple to be slid backwards on the mat and the friction opens the spring loaded guard.
Another great ergonomic tool I found recently is the Wahl Electric Seam Ripper. At first I thought it was funny as this tool is identical to my son’s moustache trimmer (and made by the same company). Using a seam ripper to “un-sew” is an extremely poor ergonomic activity with a lot of fine motor operation, wrist twisting, and close eye strain activity. It is also extremely unsatisfying since you have to undo and redo all that work!
The electric seam ripper is fast for removing long strips in just seconds. It took me a couple of runs at it, but it was almost too simple once I got it. You hold the two ends of fabric apart with the seam dangling vertically. Then turn the seam ripper on and run it straight down the seam. The seam just magically opens up; finishing in seconds what would have taken five minutes or so to open. It doesn’t touch the fabric on either side, just the threads get cut. I am sold on this new product and have added it to my website for your purchasing convenience.
Considering ergonomics in all you do is one way to improve your comfort and efficiency. You have probably read in previous newsletters, about choosing table heights and adjusting sewing chairs. Investing in ergonomics will reap untold rewards. I want to leave you with the most recent email I received from a customer:
“FYI, I recently quilted a large quilt and I was in my chair for hours on end with the back locked in a forward position as you recommend. In the past, my back, shoulders and neck would have been sore at the end of a quilting day, but with my new chair I felt GREAT. No stiffness or soreness at all. I am so happy I made the investment!
Love your newsletters!”
Lynn
As in many new inventions, there are others that come along afterward to improve on the original. As an engineer, I believe there is always the possibility of doing better on a second, third, or fourth generation of a product. For that reason, I never buy a car in its first model year; I like to wait until the “bugs” are worked out. The darling invention of the quilting world, the rotary cutter, has been redesigned to include a grip with a more ergonomic orientation. I present to you the Martelli Ergonomic Rotary Cutter. This cutter is available in both a left and right hand format and uses the same blades as other cutters. However, it has a very different orientation in your hand from your standard Olfa or Omnigrid Cutter.
The traditional rotary cutter has you extend your lower arm and twist your wrist with your thumb on top. This is an unnatural position and puts your body at risk for injury due to the extra twist in your wrist. As I have presented in previous newsletters, having a cutting surface that is 6” below your elbow can help the ergonomics of using a standard cutter. This gets you the right leverage and keeps you from hitching your shoulder up while trying to twist your wrist and cut.
In contrast, the Martelli Rotary cutter is held like you hold a bicycle handle bar, with your palm facing down (no unnatural twist). The only difference from holding a bicycle handle is that you should extend your index finger along the spine of the cutter, which will give you more stability and control. It will feel awkward the first couple of times you use it, but stick to it and you will be sold forever. The cutter blade is held closer to the center of your hand and quickly begins to feel like an extension of your body. You get leverage on the point of contact without straining your wrist, arm and shoulder. You will also tend to put less side load on the cutter trying to keep it next to the ruler, which equates to less ruler slip.
What you will also find is that you can work at a much higher surface height for cutting. The perfect cutting surface height with a Martelli cutter is just the blade height below your elbow. This also helps my eyesight, since my glasses focal length is set for my sewing machine needle ergonomics and the neutral position for sewing and cutting are now the same with respect to my upper body (see newsletter # xX for Sewing machine needle focal length adjustment).
Any rotary cutter can be dangerous. You probably know a quilter that has gone to the emergency room to get a slice stitched up, and may be unlucky enough to be that quilter. Rotary cutters come with guards that should be locked closed every time we finish a cut so as to reduce the likelihood of injury. The Martelli has a simple finger flip to close which quickly becomes second nature. To open, the cutter need simple to be slid backwards on the mat and the friction opens the spring loaded guard.
Another great ergonomic tool I found recently is the Wahl Electric Seam Ripper. At first I thought it was funny as this tool is identical to my son’s moustache trimmer (and made by the same company). Using a seam ripper to “un-sew” is an extremely poor ergonomic activity with a lot of fine motor operation, wrist twisting, and close eye strain activity. It is also extremely unsatisfying since you have to undo and redo all that work!
The electric seam ripper is fast for removing long strips in just seconds. It took me a couple of runs at it, but it was almost too simple once I got it. You hold the two ends of fabric apart with the seam dangling vertically. Then turn the seam ripper on and run it straight down the seam. The seam just magically opens up; finishing in seconds what would have taken five minutes or so to open. It doesn’t touch the fabric on either side, just the threads get cut. I am sold on this new product and have added it to my website for your purchasing convenience.
Considering ergonomics in all you do is one way to improve your comfort and efficiency. You have probably read in previous newsletters, about choosing table heights and adjusting sewing chairs. Investing in ergonomics will reap untold rewards. I want to leave you with the most recent email I received from a customer:
“FYI, I recently quilted a large quilt and I was in my chair for hours on end with the back locked in a forward position as you recommend. In the past, my back, shoulders and neck would have been sore at the end of a quilting day, but with my new chair I felt GREAT. No stiffness or soreness at all. I am so happy I made the investment!
Love your newsletters!”
Lynn