We spent a long weekend on the Georgia coast exploring St. Mary’s and Cumberland Island. A four day dose of vitamin sea is exactly what my spirit needed. I’m so thankful Hurricanes Helene and Milton did not cause extensive damage to Cumberland Island. Can you believe it’s been almost two years since I last laid eyes on the Atlantic Ocean or the waters of the Gulf of Mexico? Much too long!
Visiting Cumberland Island National Seashore has long been on my bucket list. This long-time Georgia resident has been to the islands of Skidaway, Jekyll and St. Simon’s, but never ventured this far south. We spent a full day on the island, which was plenty of time for us. The National Park Service also allows tent camping for up to 7 days (not me!). The island’s history is so rich and the day long tour only began to scratch the surface.
Of course, I visited the two quilt shops in Kingsland – The Scrappy Rooster and Beyond Fabric. The Scrappy Rooster is strictly a quilt shop while Beyond Fabric does everything from quilting to garment sewing to crafts to home dec. Honestly, if you need some off-the-wall, obscure sewing/crafting doo-dad, chances are Beyond Fabric has it! There’s also a wonderful bookstore in St. Mary’s – Once Upon a Bookseller.
I’m thinking a trip to the Quilted Cow in Gulf Shores, AL and a trip to the 2025 AQS Show in Daytona Beach are in my future!
Meet my old friend – the June Tailor Shape Cut ruler. I was introduced to her when I took my first quilting class many moons ago.
This is the basic model (JT-796), which can cut strips up to 12″ wide. The cutting slits are marked every 1/2″, so I can easily cut in whole and 1/2″ increments. You can often find this ruler on sale @ Joann or Wal-Mart for about $25.00. Similar rulers are also available on Amazon under a variety of brand names. Just be aware that slit cut/slotted rulers are more flexible than a traditional acrylic quilting ruler. There’s also a similar product called Stripology rulers marketed by Creative Grids. It’s a good product, but much more expensive.
Remember, we’re on a budget here. This $25 ruler will allow you to achieve the same basic functions. The key is to learn how to use the ruler, plus a couple of ruler hacks:
(1) Watch the instructional video distributed by AccuQuilt/June Tailor. (AccuQuilt bought June Tailor in 2023.) (2) Watch this video from Fat Quarter Shop. The demo uses the Stripology ruler; however many of the same principles apply to all slit cut rulers. I found the part on sub-cutting especially helpful. It is about the 6:15 minute mark in the video.
What if you need to cut strips in 1/4″ or 3/4″ increments? There’s a hack for that, but it depends on which version of the ruler you have. Your 1/4″ line will either be to the left or right of the 0 cutting slit. If your version is like mine with 1/4″ and 3/4″ lines to the LEFT of the 0 cutting slit, I HIGHLY recommend you download and print-out the cutting chart referenced in the Fat Quarter Shop video. These directions work well with this version of the ruler.
My Shape Cut showing 1/4″ and 3/4″ cutting lines to the left of the 0 cutting slit.
If you have a version which has a dashed 1/4″ line to the RIGHT of the 0 cutting slit, watch this video and reference the cutting chart in the instructions found here. I’ve only found this configuration on the XL version of the ruler in my local shops, although the official AccuQuilt videos and online product literature show the regular version as having the dashed 1/4″ line to the right. Perhaps a product redesign is coming to market soon? Regardless, check which version you have before making any cuts.
Product photo from AccuQuilt site showing 1/4″ line to the right of the 0 cutting slit.
You will essentially make two passes to cut strips in 1/4″ and 3/4″ increments. Same thing applies to sub-cutting into squares and rectangles.. All you have to do is follow the steps on the chart and cut where indicated on each pass. Make sure you are using the appropriate cutting chart for your version of the Shape Cut ruler.
Even with a manual die cutting system, I keep a Shape Cut ruler in my ruler inventory. It’s a handy size and easy to transport to classes/retreats. For small projects or those involving fat quarters, it’s often faster than getting out the Sizzix machine and corresponding AccuQuilt/Sizzix dies.
Tip: If you find you like using slit cut rulers, but want something more substantial like a traditional acrylic ruler, take a look at the Stripology products. They are a lot less “bendy” than the June Tailor versions. The ‘tweens at SQTM Summer Quilt Camp were much more confident with a rotary cutter when they used the Stripology (slit cut) ruler versus a regular quilting ruler.
Bernina, Brother and Baby Lock have recent launched new top-of-the-line sewing machines with price tags in the $20,000+ range.
When the new Bernina 990 came out, a local dealer required a $1000 deposit just to attend a launch party to decide whether or not you want to buy the machine. Retailers make a big deal all over social media on congratulating the “lucky” customers who purchase one of these machines. I’m curious – who are these customers? Cottage business owners? Retirees treating themselves? Sewists with a severe form of FOMO?
I personally know of only two people who’ve spent big $$ like this on a machine in the past two years. One friend with arthritis issues purchased a Janome M17 with the lift table to make sewing more comfortable for her. Another friend purchased a computerized HandiQuilter after her husband passed away, so she’d have a way to earn income from home. She now quilts for hire (and does a good job at reasonable prices).
Sadie’s (my Labradoodle) preferred local dealer is sitting on a good-sized inventory of sewing machines. During a recent visit, I toured the back room of the shop. We discussed the new Brother Aveneer and how well the new high end Janome machines were selling. The owner shared his thoughts that potential buyers already have a machine they bought during COVID lock downs. Inflation has definitely impacted customers who typically upgrade to a newer machine every 3 years. They are bringing in existing machines for service & repair versus buying new. (And yes, he has several rows of machines waiting for repair and/or pick-up.) This is what’s keeping his business afloat – not customers who can afford to drop $15-$20k on a sewing machine. Machines that sell are usually priced under $1000.00. In his opinion, sewing machine manufacturers are out of touch with the average customer. He suggested they concentrate on Incorporating more high end features in the mid-level machines rather than adding more bells and whistles to the upper end machines that few people can afford.
Said dealer and other Janome dealers in my area have lowered prices in-store to move inventory. The 9480 now includes a stitch regulator and is VERY attractively priced. The M8 is now only a little more than the 9480, but would require the purchase of a new cabinet because my existing cabinet is too small. I imagine prices will drop even more between now and next spring. So, I’ll continue to play the waiting game. My 8900 is working fine. Besides, other things like working a/c and property taxes have priority right now.
Come Stitch With Me 