CUTTING EDGE

Cutting mats have two main jobs: protecting your table surface and increasing your cutter’s lifespan. They are also used to measure and accurately cut fabrics. A closer look at cutting mats reveals a number of important things.

In the early ‘80s, rotary cutters, mats and rulers were not around. Good old-fashioned scissors were our only option. It was around the mid-‘80s when the quick rotary cutting method came onto the Australian quilting scene, and there were some patchwork teachers who heavily promoted the tools needed – cutting mats, rulers and cutters. At the forefront was Lorraine Moran, who taught workshops all over Australia, and Mary Ellen Hopkins in America.

The first cutting mats and rotary cutters available in Australia were the Olfa brand, then in the late ‘80s the