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Rotary Cutter and Needle Safety Tips
National Sewing Circle EditorsDescription
No matter what you are cutting or sewing, it is always important to use proper safety measures. Tara Rex shares several rotary cutter and needle safety tips that will help ensure safe sewing.
Rotary Cutting Blades
It may seem counterintuitive, but sharper rotary blades can actually be safer than dull blades. Having a sharp blade allows you to easily cut through multiple layers of fabric. A dull blade requires you to apply more pressure when cutting, which can increase the risk of slipping and potentially injuring your other hand. A good standard of practice is to change out your rotary blades before each new large project. If you only use a rotary cutter now and then, simply watch for when the blade starts missing threads while cutting fabric. This is an indication that it needs to be changed. When changing blades, always be sure to hold the blade in the middle rather than the edges, even if it is a dull blade. Tara demonstrates proper rotary cutter safety, including how to hold the blades as well as tips for storing and disposing of blades safely.
Pins and Needles
Sharp needles are just as important as sharp rotary blades and should also be changed frequently. A good rule of thumb for changing needles is after every eight hours of sewing or before starting a new project. Tara shares several needle safety tips including a great way to store and dispose of old or broken needles as well as pins.
Sewing Space
Rotary blade and needle safety, as well as general sewing safety, begins when setting up a sewing space. Learn how to organize your sewing supplies so that your space is not only functional, but also keeps sharp or potentially hazardous supplies away from small children who might stumble upon them.
Want to talk quickly about rotary cutter blade safety and needle safety, actually. I like to use a nice sharp blade on my rotary cutter, only because it's nice to have a nice, clean cut and the fabric doesn't pucker and do all that stuff. And while I'm using it, I always, every time I finish a cut and I'm going to put my cutter down, I always make sure to close it. 'Cause if you don't close it, and it's down, and you go to grab it, or somebody else comes to help you, we all have helpers, they could easily cut themselves. So, it's very safe to just close it. Just get into that habit, just do it right off the bat. As far as taking a new blade out of the package, be very careful, of course, they are stuck together. Feels like it's got some oil in between it. So definitely be careful, and just, you know, of course, don't hold it by the sides, or, you know, just be very gentle. And when you are changing them out and you have an old blade, do you just throw it in the trash can? No. I have kept this old package, and I just put an X on it so that I know that these are my trashed blades. And then when I'm done with them, I can always just tape it if I wish and just throw it, or I can just throw it because it's a secured case. As far as needles go, I like to change out my sewing needles in my sewing machine, you know, it varies, sometimes every eight hours or when you start a new project. And I keep them in this little medicine container, and I nicely decorated with some fabric just so you can't see inside it 'cause, you know, a lot of times there's curious little children around. So I put in like my broken needles, I put in my bent pins, and then when it gets filled up, I can throw it away safely as well, and nobody else will be injured by my sharp needles. So I hope you enjoyed this tip.
In most communities, throwing away needles, pins, and other sharp items in the trash is not permitted, even when protected as described. You need to take sharps to a sharps disposal bin. You can find these at many medical facilities or at dumps/transfer stations. They can be disposed of at no cost.
When my used blade and needle containers are full I take them along to my Doctor appointment and empty them into his used syringe container. That way I know they will be safely removed. I can then use my containers again. My Doctor is very happy to help.