Using a Rotary Cutter to Trim Fringe

This is a bit embarrassing, but I don’t believe I’m alone in doing stuff like this. About four years ago I bought a countertop electric teapot and was a bit disappointed when I took it out and found the cord was so short that I had to keep it close to an outlet. But, I liked the teapot, so I kept it. Last week I happened to turn the base over, and—surprise!—there was the rest of the cord tightly wound up. I’ve gotten so used to retractable cords (that don’t always work well) that it didn’t occur to me that the manufacturer of the teapot might use an old-school method for hiding a cord, hiding it so well I didn’t realize it was there!

I feel the same way about the technique for cutting fringe that Angela Schneider shows in this video tip. Many of us have rotary cutters, straight edges, and self-healing mats, so why aren’t we using them? We know they cut smoothly and straight, but instead we fumble along with a pair of scissors to trim our fringe evenly and cut pieces apart. I think we’ve all gotten so comfortable with our tried-and-true methods (and ways to hide cords) that we forget there could be another better technique.

Watching this video reminded me of the mat, straight edge, and cutter sitting on my own shelf, in plain view no less. I’m going to use them for the set of napkins I need to cut apart and, going forward, for cutting my fringe and other similar tasks. It’s a smart technique, the tools are useful, and Angela does a good job in walking you through the easy steps in this video.

It’s a good reminder that often simple techniques and solutions are the best.

Weave well,

Susan