janjanq

I'm considering purchasing a Brother ScanNCut 2 but what would like to hear from members who have one and use them for cutting fabric for quilting. I've seen a few demos of it on UTube but have not seen a demo in person. None of the stores near me sell them.

ManiacQuilter2

I saw it demo and wasn't impressed. It seemed more for quilters that do applique then piece the blocks.

Sheri.a

I have the Scanncut 1 and it really is great for applique. It took me a while to figure out the right technique for fusible. I use Terial Magic and Misty Fuse. I love the scanning feature.

What I think is not efficient is to use it to cut out a full quilt. It would take way too long (not to mention the supplies you wear out).

mandyrose

i saw it demoed at my brother dealer and honestly i wasn't impressed, i would go with the accuquilt you can cut up to six layers of fabric where the scan n cut won't sure you have to buy the dies but it's way easier then the scan n cut, i thought for me it was to techenical

Onebyone

My friend has one she uses to make cut outs for back vehicle windows or to place on ceramic tiles and such. She sells the cut outs and tiles at craft shows but the last one she sold at, there were about a half a dozen that were selling the same. At first it was a novelty but now the market is saturated. She rarely uses it for fabric, the blade gets dull or hangs up, something about the fabric cutting she doesn't like, I forgot what. I think more scrapbookers use it then quilters.

quiltingshorttimer

we've had several threads recently about cutters--think the big thing you need to figure out first is what you are wanting a cutter to do--if it's cutting applique, then a Scan N Cut or Silhouette will do a good job and allow you to either download or design your own shapes, plus you can use with other mediums, and there are no dies involved, which keeps it cheaper in long run. If you are wanting a cutter that will allow you to cut out a whole quilt with accuracy and speed (and ease if you have back,shoulder, hand issues), then a die cutter like Accuquilt or Sissix (sp?) is your best bet as you can cut 6-8 layers, do it quickly and accurately, and use dies for more than one block. You can also buy dies for applique.

Once you've figured what you really intend to do with it, then you can compare the different makes. I personally wanted something for applique and other medium, but find that I use my Accuquilt Go Big much more than my Silhouette (at least with fabric!)

janjanq

Even though the ScanNCut2 only cuts through one layer at a time it looks like you can multiply the shape you want to cut many times on the one layer of fabric and I think the cutting surface is larger than the accuquilt. For instance it looks like you can cut nine 2 1/2 inch squares at once with the ScanNCut 2. The dies that I've looked at for the Accuquilt only have one of the shape on the die so even though it may cut through nine layers you're still only getting nine pieces of that shape. Plus you have to cut the fabric to fit in the machine. The ScanNCut 2 also has built into the machine many quilt blocks that you can cut the whole block at one time or cut only the shapes that are cut from the same fabric. My concern is how much prep time is involved in getting the fabric and machine set up to make the cuts on the ScanNCut 2? I have a Baby Go but really want to upgrade to either the new electric Go or the ScanNCut 2 or perhaps the Silhouette. Mainly for quilting.

Geri B

My GO die for 2 1/2" squares has 6 or 4 on the die... Not sure not in sewing room now....I only have a GO and not too familiar with the scan...but can you, for example fan fold the fabric to get multiple cuts of a specific built in block, or do you have to cut a one piece of fabric at a time and run it thru? Besides the machine are their other accessories you have to buy as you use it? I am happy with my GO, it does what I need it to do and I also have a Sizzix big shot and some of their dies.....you have to decide what equipment best suits your personal wants/needs...

janjanq

From what I understand from the video I saw you can only go thru one layer at a time but the cutting surface looks bigger so you can cut 8 or 9 at the same time. What I like about it is you don't need to buy any dies and you can scan any shape into the machine and cut it. ( even your signature). But I don't know how easy it is to use or how much prepping is necessary. I don't know if you can put two or more different fabrics side by side on the cutting surface and align the shapes accordingly. I'm not as concerned about how many layers of fabric as I am about how easy it is to use and whether it's worth it not to have to buy dies. As for accessories I see where you may have to replace blades and other parts as they wear out. But I haven't heard from anyone who has one that uses it for quilt blocks (and not just applique).

quiltingshorttimer

I would definitely suggest you get a demo before buying the Scan N Cut--I think that the reason you are not hearing from people that use it to cut geometric shapes for quilts and not just applique shapes, is that it's not used as much for that.
P.S. with the Accuquilt, I never cut my fabric into the shape of the die, I just fanfold for the number of layers I want and send it through--any fabric not under the mat/in the die cutting path, does not get cut.