I could just scream

:Oh good grief, Kate. Your post is an hour old so we'll hope your screaming is over by now. Bake some biscuits, get out the apple butter and soothe your wounded spirit. You can trim all of your blocks to 4 and 15/16" square or better yet, 4 and 7/8" and the baby quilt will be just fine. Please pass the biscuits. Polly

"Kate T." I got out my limited amount of fabric to start a baby quilt. This

I hate when that happens! But I agree with Polly - make ALL the blocks

4-15/16". The baby will never know, and you'll still have a beautiful quilt. Take your frustrations out on that *#$% cutting board, and then go back to sewing!

An easy way to make your ruler not slippery is to paint small areas with clear nail polish and sprinkle salt on the wet polish. Let it dry and you have a non-skid ruler.

Sorry about that naughty cutting mat. I thought those looked like a good idea, but I always wondered if they would teeter-totter when you cut on them. I agree with making all the diamonds smaller. That should work.

How frustrating. I can relate.

I keep my cutting mat right at the 'edge' of my cutting table, lign up my fabric with my ruler, keeping one end near the table edge. Then I use a small clamp to hold the ruler in place, there's no more slipping. I just hold the other end where I want it, and run the rotary cutter up the side.

-Irene

Good idea about the salt and nail polish. I use the bandage tape that is textured and clear. I wouldn't use double sided tape.

I agree with the rest - don't start over, just adjust your squares a bit.

I love my two sided board. It gives me an ironing surface next to my SM while I am making blocks and if I need to cut something quickly I can flick it over. Mine is about 12 X 12.

Kate: Stop! Don't throw out the cutting and ironing board unit yet! Even if you never use it as a cutting surface again, it can still be useful. The other side is a nice ironing board to take to work shops for pressing. Since the cloth is gridded, you can use that side to block projects. Either side can be a work board to lay out block units for transport to the SM. You can also use it as a lap table for hand projects or writing fan letters.

About the ruler: consider switching to the Omnigrip rulers. I've been gradually switching to those and am very satisfied. NAYY. If you want to keep the rulers you have, you might go to LQS or on-line QS for a 'no slip' film made specifically to adhere to back of ruler.

Finally, you can still use those off kilter squares .... just be careful to sew narrower seams.

HTH. PAT in very rainy Virginia

What's the fabric? You never know - someone may have it. Also try looking on eBay. And this site:

Judy

Kate, I've BTDT, and I know it's horribly frustrating. I hope you figure out a new layout without too much trouble.

Ah, yes, Pat! I do love the Omnigrip rulers! No more slippage! Yay! :) I'm also switching over to those as I need new rulers. Of course, I also "cheated" a bit when my DT took up quilting about three years ago. She was then in China and couldn't get nice quilting supplies, so I took her several of my Omnigrid rulers so I'd have an excuse to replace them with the Omnigrip type. There's nothing wrong with Omnigrid, except that they do slip (like most other rulers), so I showed her how to minimize that. :)

My old green cutting mat isn't slippery but my rulers slip on the material as I cut. A real PIA. :^(

Howdy!

You do realize that Kate was just looking for an excuse to go shopping?

R/Sandy -- yeah, nice try, Kate, but we've heard that one before! ;-D

A few of you have said you don't like the sandpaper type dots. I am curious to know why you don't like them. That is all I use, and I love them. I hate the rubbery plastic feeling dots because they do raise the ruler up. I was just wondering if there is something I don't understand about them.

Sherry Starr

my sandpaper dots got "worn" and when I went to take them off there was a residue. ECH

I now have all mine covered with the bandage tape.

12 Layers?!!! Help. I get the shakes if I do two >g< And, as to folding - eek!!!

I had to cut four borders from the lengthwise direction of a piece of fabric last week. My preparation would have made an athlete proud!! .. In message , Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. writes

I never said it wasn't risky or that it didn't kill my shoulders, wrists and hands or that I sometimes lose control of the rotary cutter. But I am impatient- why cut 4 layers if you can cut 12? LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

And that tape is truly great. Haven't had a slippage since I started using it (thanks to this newsgroup)!

For me it is not the thickness, it is that you can't see through them, just really bugs me for some reason.