OK - just a warning to be careful when using a rotary cutter. ALSO - warning to the quesy-stomached before reading on.

My beloved niece was working on a project using her rotary cutter. She's 30 and an experienced quilter, but unfortunately her fingers got in the way when cutting through some fabric recently. Ugh. She ended up losing part of both her index finger and thumb. The Dr. in ER was able to reattach her finger tip, but not thumb.

Does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes shields for quilting rulers? I found a product that you can stick on yourself:
http://softexpressions.com/software/notions/SafetyShlds.php

but I'm not sure how well it would hold up. Seems like they could just mould a piece on the edge so it doesn't get in the way but yet protect your hands. This wasn't a minor nick.

Holy Koogamooga!!!
I started to buy one of those rotary cutters the other day to cut magnetic sheeting with!

I'm glad I didn't buy it...I doubt if I would be typing this right now if I had!

Cindy You do not need to have a rotary cutter, We all know how dangerous you are with scissors. I have a large and a small rotary cutter, and they are very dangerous, I have nicked myself a few times, a shield would be a good idea. They are so sharp, you don't even know you are cut until it is too late. The smaller one seems to be more dangerous for me then the larger one.

Oh Sandy, that sounds like such a painful injury. Like Comfrey, I have nicked myself with those and it hurts so bad. I cannot even imagine what your poor niece is going through. Prayers for a speedy recovery for her.

OK...I'm buying one of these tomorrow.
This sounds like something I need to cut magnetic sheeting with.
I just have to try this thing for myself.

Please remember me in your prayers.

I cut off 1 inch of my right middle finger 19 years ago but not with a rotary fabric cutter. I did mine on a woodworking machine called, ironically, a, "Hand Joiner". In my case, it was a, "Hand DIS-joiner".

Cindy i suggest you wear chainmail gloves while using a cutter.

Yeah - I thought Cindy wasn't supposed to run with scissors!

Seriously - anybody know of any rulers with a guard along the edge?

you guys are scaring me! PUT THE ROTARY CUTTER DOWN CINDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On a serious note, Everyone please be careful, with a rotary cutter!

Cindy, did you buy one yet?? I saw where you switched from your hand in a purple gloves to one blown up... Is Lola having to type for you??

i work at an art college, and our most common injury to students is xacto knife cuts. the rotary cutters do just as much damage.

and, with all sharp blades PLEASE remember to properly store them. we had a kid this summer who just dropped the xacto knive in their back pack (with the lid on it) but because it wasn't secure the lid came off and when the kid sat on the back pack, on the shuttle to class. well, they went to the er to have the cut glued/stitched. in the fleshy part of the cheek, fortunately.