I'm so pleased to have just read the last reply... i just bought the Go. It's not available over here in the UK so it's the cost of the machine, plus shipping, Plus the import tax!!!! but I hate cutting fabric so thought this was the ideal way to go. Hopefully it would be too long before dies are available over here... or I'll just have to get them for birthdays and Christmas....

any tips on how to get the best out of it would be very useful

I have the Go cutter and it's great. I don't understand why many would think the cutter is for one block quilts. I cut squares, HST, hexagons, strips, triangles, circles and some shapes. I have very little fabric waste. The tumbler die is worth the cost of the machine to me. I love having the time savings plus no hurting hands from rotary cutting. Sure it cost more than a rotary cutter and a ruler but when those came available I heard the same thing, why would any one want that when they can cut with scissors?

I have had an Accuquilt since last July when I won one! At that time there wasn't the " Go" size so I won the large cutter. Honestly I would never have been able to buy this since I don't make enough quilts to justify the cost. I won the machine but NO dies and they are costly. I figured I won it for a reason so I better get some dies so I could use it. There are some sets with several shapes (squares, rectangle, triangle etc) that combine to make many blocks of a certain size. I got the 12" set and two other separate dies. You can cut strips and fanfold them or little chunks of fabric to just cover the shape you are cutting so as not to waste lots of fabric. I made a quilt out of men's dress shirts and cut most of it on the Accuquilt. It works well with scraps too. The winding way table runner in my profile was all cut with the dies and went together VERY easily. I would RECOMMEND it especially if several people went together and jointly bought and used it or if you really make a lot of quilts. So there is my opinion after a year of use. Karen

I agree with Anne and Beth. I've often look at this system and wondered how I could justify the price. So far I have not made a justification so have not purchased this system. So instead I purchased an Altos cutting system which works well. Bobbi

BethMI wrote:
Beth, I think each die contains all of the pieces for a single block. And I think you'd have to want to make the same quilt a lot of times, for the purchase to be worthwhile.

It will be interesting to hear how AccuCut owners answer this question.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

I can see why someone like John Flynn would like a system like this -- cutting out all those die-cut pieces for his kits -- or even a quilt guild which plans a big project, but I still don't understand why an ordinary quilter would want one except for a one-block quilt.

Maybe I don't understand how this thing works, but from what I have seen, I don't get it.

1. Isn't there an awful lot of wasted fabric created when you use these dies?

2. An ordinary quilt takes lots and lots of different size pieces. Wouldn't it cost a fortune to collect even enough dies to make a single quilt?

What am I not understanding?

BethMI

Oh how lucky. I am a little green , but I am very happy for Have loads of fun and share photos please. Cher

wow!!! well done... I've just been on the phone to accuquilt for some advise. I not sure which one to buy.. The Go or the studio. We don't have them over here in the uk so I've got to figure the shipping and import tax into the decision making..... I would love to know what you think to it when it arrives

Thanks for the tip JoAnne. I never would have considered the table height if you hadn't mentioned it. Now I will protect my elbows.
Karen

Karen, how EXCITING!! We can not wait to see pictures of your new toy!!

I'm so excited for you, Karen. Just one thing I want to mention, be sure to use the Accucut Machine on the proper height table. I developed tennis elbow from using the die cuts at school. Too many hours using it and it was on a counter too high for me to use comfortably. 15 years later, I still have a sore elbow. What did I know, it was my first time using it and it was part of my job.

Have fun knowing that we are jealous! Congratulations! It is so nice to know that someone actually wins those drawings!

JoAnne

Judy that was my plan too. If we can decide on some dies that several of us want it will be nice to go together on them. I sent out an email right away to say we need to call an emergency meeting because we don't meet in the summer but haven't heard back yet much to my surprise. Karen

Karen, you really ought to see if your guild will pitch in and help you buy the cutting patterns.

I get to use the AccuCut on Friday when I go to my Batik Club. We are going to cut triangles for our next project. Judy in AZ

Congratulations! We have to enjoy it with you - vicariously!
Lynn