Happy Anniversary!
Did you know that the Olfa cutter was developed in 1979 . . 35 years ago . . and Olfa is celebrating by creating and displaying a commemorative quilt at the International Quilt Market in Houston in October. Olfa asked some quilting bloggers (stop laughing . . I will quilt again some day) to submit a block for the quilt and I was happy to do so. Keep reading and you’ll see my block.
If I had to name one item that changed quilting the most for me, it would be the Olfa cutter, and, of course, the mats and rulers that make them so effective. I learned to quilt in about 1980 and I was taught to use the plastic templates, trace around them, add a quarter inch to all sides, cut along the outer line with scissors . . one piece at a time. I can still remember walking into that quilt shop one day and the ladies showing me the Olfa cutter and the ruler and how many layers I could cut through. Of course, I had to have one. You know me . . I never have done anything on a small scale. I cut hundreds of strips. That was all I really knew how to cut . . strips! I took them back to the quilt shop and said “What do I do with all these strips?” They suggested I make a rail fence quilt and I had enough strips to make three quilt tops, all of which were finished and given away. What a sight those must have been . . in my early days of quilting!
I cannot even imagine what quilting would be like without the Olfa cutter, the rulers and the mats.
Olfa Cutters
I think it’s safe to say that I’m an Olfa fan. These are the cutters that were in the drawer and there are probably at least this many more . . in boxes I take with me when traveling or buried under all the stuff on the cutting tables. The one on the right, the 45 mm Deluxe Ergonomic Rotary Cutter, is the one I use most often these days.
The folks at Olfa shared a little kit with those of us who made blocks for their commemorative quilt:
Rotating Mat
I absolutely love the rotating mat. It’s so nice when trimming a bunch of smaller pieces and I can place several on the mat, trim on one side, rotate the mat, trim them all on another side and keep rotating the mat without having to pick up and re-align all the pieces.
Frosted Ruler
They also sent a 6-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ Frosted Advantage™ ruler. I had never used one of these but it’s great for dark and light fabrics . . the lines show through no matter what color the fabric you’re using. I had never paid attention to how difficult it was to see the black lines with dark fabric til I used this ruler and saw how easy it is. I guess it’s just something I always dealt with and never knew I had a better option.
Also included were the 28 mm rotary cutter and this cute little pin!
Olfa pin
As I was thinking about the block I would submit for the commemorative quilt, I had to smile thinking about all those strips I cut with my very first Olfa cutter, and those “not so pretty” calico rail fence quilts I made. I knew my block had to be something related to a simple rail fence type block.
Spinning Rail Fence
There it is! A rail fence with a spinning star, of sorts, in the center.
Thank you, Olfa, for all you’ve done for the quilting industry and for us quilters, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your 35th anniversary celebration. As a quilter who remembers quilting before the Olfa cutters were popular, I really appreciate your products!
Paula says
I love your block and story.
Paula in KY
Tina in NJ says
I really like your block, especially how it ties in with your early experience with the Olfa cutter. Will there be instructions on how to make it? (I could probably figure it out, but I’m lazy!)
JudyL says
Yes, you can figure it out! It’s just whatever size rail fence block you want with whatever size “star” you want in the center.
Sharon in Michigan says
Nice block! Thanks for the info and history.
Diann says
I agree. I just wish my PROLIFIC quilting grandmother could have experienced Olfa. She’s been gone for over 50 years and made many quilts but it was cardboard, pencil, scissors and that was after a long hard day on the farm doing way many other things the “hard” but only way available at that time.
JudyL says
That’s exactly what I think. I wish my grandma had been able to experience the accuracy and ease of quilting with Olfa products.
patty says
I went to Olfa website but I didn’t see anything that would led me to the other quilters participating in this quilt block event. I used to work for World Kitchen which Olfa is one of their subsidiary’s. I worked at another subsidiary, Ekco Housewares in the Bakeware division, which the manufacturing was moved to China back in the late 90’s. Rotary cutters sure did change the quilting world!
JudyL says
I don’t think they have anything on their website about the commemorative quilt project but they may have a picture of the quilt once it’s finished.
Diana in RR,TX says
I learned to quilt long before you-Mom was my teacher. So I did learn by making paper patterns and all that good stuff. If Olfa had not come out with the rotary cutter and all their other good products I probably would not be quilting near as much now! It really was a boon I think to the quilting industry.
Diana in RR,TX says
Forgot to add I love your block.
Toni Wood says
Rotary cutters and the sewing machine revolutionized quilting. First used Olfa products around 1987 and haven’t looked back.
SaraF says
Lovely block and your story is similar to so many of us. I had also learned to quilt using templates until my sister-in-law introduced me to the rotary cutter. I’m not sure I would still be as avid a quilter if I was still using templates.
Libby in TN says
My mother started quilting with the Bicentennial revival. Sadly she passed away in 1979. She would have been one of the first to adopt the new technology, I’m sure.
Dottie N. says
Great story, Judy and terrific block!! Thanks for sharing the story.
Julie in WA says
I am still using my original Olfa rotary cutter, purchased in 1990; it is my ONLY cutter and it is still going strong! I wonder what I am missing by not purchasing the new fangled, technologically-advanced cutters…I figure why mess with the tried and true!!!
Our church group makes quilts for the high school senior graduates. I’m told that when the younger women started to use rotary cutters and mats, the older women could not make the change from cardboard templates and scissors. It is sad, for neither group could adjust to the other…and it is nearly impossible to combine the two methods to make one quilt. Eventually the older women stopped coming. Since I joined the group ten years ago, I have watched most of those older women pass away, and with them the old methods are gone as well.
kaholly says
Great block!! I’m an Olfa fan – it’s the only rotary cutter I’ve ever owned. I wear them out and replace them with the same. I prefer the 28mm size, even tho’ it’s getting more and more difficult to find blades.
patti says
i came to quilting just about the time the rotary cutter did, so i used both methods. can’t say enough about olfa’s revolutionary change! i have one of the originals and prefer it over the new and improved ones. i look for the older style @ all of the garage sales to get a ‘just in case’ replacement, but my original is in perfect shape so it’ll probably outlast me! happy anniversary olfa! and i love the block, especially the colors.
Sandy says
Although I learned in my first quilting class to make my own templates and to cut out fabric with scissors, I moved on to using an Olfa cutter, mat, and acrylic rulers soon afterward. My Olfa cutter collection now looks similar to your lineup! I use them all the time! Love your block and I hope we’ll get to see the finished quilt!
Susan says
Love your block. It has that little extra Judy-touch. I remember the shop where I bought the first cutter, and they didn’t even have mats! They were selling a 1/8″ thick sort-of-cloudy-white-plastic mat – huge – to go with it, and I bought that and used it for at least 10 years before I cut through it and finally bought an Olfa mat. Tiny little 28 mm Olfa – still have that one, too. =) Along with several others. The funny thing is, I remember the shop and buying it, but I don’t remember using it. It seems I just went home and never looked back at my scissors days! 35 years surely have flown by.
Theresa says
I love the block! Did Olfa provide the fabrics?
I still have a lot of those marking templates that I used before I had the rotary cutter/mat/rulers. My first few years of quilts were made with templates and scissors and were not nearly as accurate or flat as my later ones. One of my friends decided she should quilt one of my early knotted quilts, and it was so wonky she gave it up as a bad job and had to remove the stitches.
I do love Olfa products, and I can’t wait to try the ergonomic rotary cutter.
Carolyn says
I think we started quilting about the same time, maybe a little earlier for me. I remember when I was shown how to use the rotary cutters, and my MIL bought me new of all! I still have the mat I originally used. And several others and so many rulers it’s a sin! I too love the turn table cutting board it’s a great invention. I don’t use it a lot, but it is so nice when I have to square things up!
Now think about you and me starting at the same time…. u have a farm and chickens, have written books and taught classes…. I am way behind you.
BTW I love your block and how you incorporated your first experience into it! WTG!
Judy S says
Fun story! And whenever I look at antique quilts I marvel that they were done without any of our fun modern tools. That also makes me extra appreciative!
Mary Jo says
Love the block! Do you mind if I try to duplicate it and make a quilt?
Diana says
wow ! Congratulations Olfa !!!
Deanna says
Since I started quilting I have hoped the original inventor was rich and happy, as they have surely enriched the lives of happy quilters the world over.
pdudgeon says
I remember learning how to use an Olfa rotery cutter way back when. I took a class from Fons and Porter when they were in Williamsburg teaching us about a new quilting fad called watercolor quilts–remember them? we were all new to using rotery cutters and it was a perfect time to learn the correct way to use them by cutting strips for our quilts. What a breeze it was to cut with!
Also have to give a shout out to Olfa who really came thru for our quilting group. Along with Alex Anderson, a bunch of us across the U.S. were making donation quilts for the families of the volunteer firemen in NY/NJ after 9-11 happened. Olfa heard about it and they generously sent us some rotery cutters and box cutters to our group to help support the effort. I still have my cutter today and use it for all my quilts.
Dianne says
How well I remember the horrors of cutting the pieces for half square triangles with scissors! In honor of their anniversary, I bought myself a new Olfa rotary cutter yesterday.