amandasgramma

Not sure if there's a thread on this....just sharing my experience. First off, I have a titanium rotary cutter. Did not intend to buy one, discovered when I got home that it required titanium blades. But I LOVE this cutter. I always use the green mats for cutting fabrics. Last week I got a great deal (60% off) on a cutting mat/ironing board thing...not sure what it's called.... The mat on it is blue.....let me tell you, the blue mats do NOT allow you to cut good. It's NOT the blade. It kept skipping sections as if the blade had a ding in it. I got out my green mat and the blade cuts just fine, thank you. SO.....if anyone asks, green mat...always buy a green mat!!!!!!!

quiltstringz

Thanks for the heads up!

QuiltnNan

thanks for sharing your experience

EasyPeezy

I don't think it's the colour...it's whether it's self-healing or not. I'm going to order an
X-Acto self-healing cutting mat (grey) because I just discovered that cutting dark
fabric on my green/black mat is almost impossible.

elnan

i think you will find that most of the combination ironing/cutting mats will create this same problem. I have had a June Tailor one for close to 20 years, and find that it works best for pressing, but for cutting small pieces at the machine, I lay a small self-healing cutting mat on it, seems that rotary blades skitter on it and create the same problems you describe. I think it is a combination of what the cutting surface is made of and too much padding for the ironing surface. I have seen people using the combination ones that are hinged like a book, and they have no problem.

Two years ago, I bought the Fiskars mats that are pale green on one side and yellow on the other because I had so much trouble seeing to cut on the darker olfa ones.

Jingle

My perfect color would be dark gray for light colors and lt. green or yellow for dark colors.
Mine id the yellow one side and lt. green for other, self-healing.

ManiacQuilter2

I agree. My friend gave me some plastic mat from JAF. YUCK. I prefer the Omingrid mats that are sold only online at JAF. I wait until there is free whipping. They seem to last long than the thinner green mats.

Sewnoma

I have a blue mat that I picked up to take to classes and on vacation, I think it's Dritz brand. It's not quite as thick and soft as the large Alvin mat I have on my cutting table but it works just fine. I haven't had any skipping problems with it. I probably would rather have another Alvin mat but I didn't think about the class I signed up for and realized I needed a smaller mat when it was too late to wait for one to be shipped.

I use standard Olfa blades in my cutters.

Sewnoma

Free whipping?? What kind of place is the Joann's in your town? LMAO!! 50 shades of grey fabric...

(Sorry, I know that's just a typo, but it hit my funny bone and I couldn't resist!)

mckwilter

If your mat doesn't have lines on the back, try cutting with that side. If your cutter works fine, it is the lines on the mat that are your problem. I remember someone (either F&P or Jenny Doan) talking about this on one of their shows or tutorials. I have a couple dark blue mats and purple mats that are 12x18 and a larger (18x24) mat that is yellow on one side and lavender on the other and don't have any problem with any of them. I tried a friend's green mat, but for some reason, I had problems "seeing" with the mat. Maybe it was the yellow lines. I know I can't use Olfa rulers because of the yellow markings.

Well, I just re-read your original post and it sounds like one of those June Tailor's pressing mat on one side and cutting mat on the other. I bought one of those years ago with a gray mat and never had a problem. I just won one of the new, blue ones, but haven't used it yet. I'll have to try it out and see if I have a problem.