BTW, the same is true for the batting. If you use a polyester batting, it won’t shrink, but a all cotton or mostly cotton batting will shrink around 4-6% in length and width.
Maybe it’s the blade? It looks like a lot of the rotary cutters now have tungsten steel or titanium coated steel blades.
I have an Olfa I’ve had for 30+ years and it’s been great but whenever I’m having trouble with it I just need to replace the blade.
Fiskars also seem to be popular with quilters.
It’s supposed to be a super sharp tungsten steel blade but seemed pretty dull and unable to handle the squares I wanted to cut, right out of the packaging. I expected it to last at least a day of cuts. It only cut like 4 or 6 squares before it started skipping badly and not cutting. I thought this blade was supposed to be sharp and keep its sharpness awhile.
If the blade is rubbing along the edge of a hard plastic ruler, that can dull it pretty quick. And honestly, sometimes you get a dud blade that is already nicked when you open the package.
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Also, a book recc for those who like quilting.
Stitched by Eli McCann.
McCann is Salt Lake City based writer & podcaster who writes a humor column for the Salt Lake City Tribune. He wrote a novel about the a quilting circle of ladies in their 70s-90s who allow 2 gay men to join their quilting circle. (Some of the story is loosely autobiographical. McCann and his husband did join his mother’s quilting circle.)
The book is warm and good hearted. A nice diversion from the some of nastiness currently in the world.
The book was rejected by 29 publishers and finally picked by a tiny independent publisher in SLC that released it in small paperback run.
It’s now #4 on the NYTimes Bestseller List and is being made into a movie.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/books/review/eli-mccann-stitched.html
I’m currently reading this book 
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I signed up to reserve the audio version of this fun new book at our public library. I’m 24th on the list & they have 2 copies. No idea when it will be my turn.
so are people buying their rotary cutter and replacement blades from Amazon or elsewhere? Where is a good place to buy? Walmart? I don’t want counterfeit things that break and go bad quickly. Just want an Olfa or Fiskar rotary cutter & blades, nothing fancy. 60 or 45 mm.
I buy mine from reputable quilting suppliers online or directly from my local quilting store. (I like to support my local small businesses.)
I used to buy Fiskar blades at JoAnn’s but they went out of business.
I don’t buy from Amazon since lots of the blades are sold by/shipped from resellers and you have NO idea of their provenance. Could be counterfeit.
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I’m considering buying from Wawak, but only if S will forward them because they charge a ton to ship to HI.
Wawak is a great source for sewing supplies. I buy from them.
You can find all sorts of hard to source items, including zipper repair kits, hat making and handbag making supplies, upholstery supplies.
Helpful hint: order more blades than you think you’ll need. for your project. It’s easy to nick a blade against an acrylic ruler or by trying to cut over a straight pin. (Ask me how I know!)
Consider ordering a rotary blade sharpener from Wawak too. Sometime you can fix a minor burr by polishing it in the sharpener. Extends useful blade life.
I also have purchased from wawak, they’ve been very reliable. There are lots of great online quilt shops, Fat quarter shop is one of my favorites.
Fun fact about Wawak, one time when I called about an order I was on hold and they have a cute song that plays while you’re holding. When I got through and was talking to the customer service person I asked about it and she said the owners commissioned a song writer from Nashville to write a hold song.
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Love Fat Quarter Shop!
Other good online quilting supplies sources:
Shabby Fabrics
Hancock’s of Paducah
Missouri Quilt Company
Marshall Dry Goods
Keepsake Quilting
Connecting Threads
True story, I ordered a large acrylic ruler from Connecting Threads. It was shipped and after about 10 days, the tracking ID just disappeared. I was living in New Mexico, but the ruler was sent from Washington State to Iowa, then on to Georgia --no where near where it was supposed to end up. I called Customer Service and they couldn’t locate the tracking data and had no idea why the shipper was sending my ruler on scenic tour of the US. They graciously sent me a replacement for the AWOL item, which arrived in 72 hours. Then 2 weeks LATER, my original order was finally delivered to my house. I called CT back and offered to return the original item which hadn’t been opened, but they said no, it would cost more to ship it back than the profit they would make on selling it again. So I ended up with 2 36" x 6" long rulers.
Ok—ordered a 60mm Olfa rotary cutter, 10 extra blades & a sharpener from Wawak. S will bring it over from NYC when they come this weekend for next weekend’s wedding. I trust Wawak over Amazon for genuine equipment.
My S complained it was expensive but I said I wanted genuine.
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I don’t know if they have Michael’s in Hawaii but they now carry some of the basics that JoAnn’s used to, and do have blades and rulers. Some Walmarts do carry sewing stuff and there is some online that can be shipped to a store.
There is also Missouri Star Quilt company that has everything you can ever think of. Some of their stuff is available on Amazon and not sure what their (Missouri Star’s) shipping policy is but in the continental US it is free after a certain spending level. They have good deals on blades and they are good quality.
Those blades need to go in checked luggage from NYC. Your son may not think of it because they are small, but… I’m flying next week and I won’t even risk taking my embroidery scissors on the plan because, although only 2" blade, they are very sharp and everything I read says it is up to TSA and you KNOW I’ll get the agent who won’t let them on.
I told S they need to go in checked luggage or they’ll be confiscated because they’re blades. No Michael’s here, only Ben Franklin with very limited supplies.
Boy, I haven’t seen a Ben Franklin’s since the small town i grew up in. Every once in awhile, i’ll find some old sewing notion like seam tape or a card of snaps with a 10 cent Ben Franklin sticker on it.
I haven’t seen anything there for $.10 in a very long time. I rarely go there but it is one of our craft stores, plus Walmart, Target and the quilt & fabric places.
Any recommendations on which protective glove to minimize cuts to fingers/hands? I saw it mentioned in some articles.
Look for kitchen cut resistant gloves. You want something fairly thin and not bulky. Or too sweaty.
There’s also cut resistant tape you can wrap around just your first 2 fingers. I personally have not tried it, but some people use that instead of a glove. You can find it at woodworker supply shops and sometimes at Home Depot.
Took sewing machine for $99 servicing. They will also adjust tension, which is currently out of whack. The guy is very backed up but will keep me posted as to when he’s done—hopefully <1 week. Was sewing scraps and realized machine needed a tune up.