How to Cut Multiple Layers of Fabric Faster: The Electric Fabric Cutter I Use

If you regularly cut multiple layers of fabric, you already know how much time the cutting process can take.

When I first started making Fairface Washcloths, I stacked about four layers of flannel together and cut each square with a handheld rotary cutter. It worked — but as my sewing business grew and I needed to cut more and more fabric, cutting just a few layers at a time became painfully slow.

I needed a faster way to cut fabric in bulk.

That’s when I switched to an electric fabric cutting machine — and it completely changed my cutting process.

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The Problem: Cutting Multiple Layers of Fabric Took Too Long

A rotary cutter is great when you’re cutting a few pieces of fabric.

But when you need dozens — or hundreds — of identical pieces, repeatedly cutting a few layers at a time becomes a major bottleneck.

That was exactly what happened to me.

As orders for my Fairface Washcloths increased, I needed to prepare much larger quantities of fabric for sewing. I could sew faster than I could keep up with the cutting.

My little handheld rotary cutter just couldn’t cut it anymore. Pun intended. :)

What I needed was a way to cut thicker stacks of fabric at one time.

The Fabric Cutter That Changed My Cutting Process

The solution for me was an electric fabric cutting machine like this one.

[SEE THE FABRIC CUTTER ON AMAZON]

Instead of manually rolling a rotary cutter through a few layers of fabric over and over again, an electric fabric cutter allows you to guide the machine through a much thicker stack.

That meant I could prepare dramatically more pieces of fabric in the same amount of cutting time.

If you sew the same item repeatedly, make products to sell, batch-sew gifts, or simply have a project that requires cutting lots of identical pieces, this is where an electric fabric cutter can be incredibly useful.

Before: Cutting Fabric With a Handheld Rotary Cutter

When I started my business, I would lay approximately four pieces of flannel on top of each other and cut my washcloth squares with a handheld rotary cutter.

There was nothing wrong with that method when I was making smaller quantities.

The problem came when I needed more.

And more.

And more.

Four layers at a time suddenly meant a LOT of repeated cutting.

On a productive day, I might cut around 50 fabric squares by hand.

That was fine in the beginning, but it simply wasn't efficient enough once I began producing my washcloths in larger quantities.

After: Cutting Thick Stacks With an Electric Fabric Cutter

Switching to an electric fabric cutter was a game changer for me.

Instead of cutting just a few pieces at a time, I could work with much thicker stacks of fabric and prepare hundreds and hundreds of pieces for sewing.

That was the difference that mattered.

I wasn't spending nearly as much of my production time doing the same cutting motion over and over again.

I could batch my cutting, prepare a large quantity of pieces, and then move on to sewing.

For someone who was producing the same sewn product repeatedly, that was HUGE.

Why I Think an Electric Fabric Cutter Is Worth It

If you only occasionally cut one or two pieces of fabric, you probably don't need one.

But if you regularly find yourself standing at your cutting table thinking:

“There has to be a faster way to do this…”

this may be the tool you're looking for.

An electric fabric cutter can be especially useful if you:

• Cut multiple layers of fabric at once
• Make the same sewn item repeatedly
• Sew products to sell
• Batch-sew gifts or craft-show inventory
• Spend a significant amount of time cutting fabric
• Have outgrown cutting everything with scissors or a handheld rotary cutter

For me, the biggest benefit was simple:

I could cut much more fabric in much less time.

And once you've experienced cutting thick stacks at once, going back to cutting four layers at a time feels VERY slow.

Is an Electric Fabric Cutter Worth Buying for a Sewing Business?

For my sewing business, absolutely.

One of the biggest lessons I learned while producing Fairface Washcloths was that sewing faster wasn't always the answer.

Sometimes the bigger opportunity was finding the step in my process that was slowing everything else down.

For me, that step was cutting.

The electric fabric cutter helped remove that bottleneck.

It allowed me to prepare large batches of fabric much faster so I could spend more of my time actually sewing and completing products.

And although I originally bought mine because I was producing products to sell, you certainly don't need to own a sewing business to benefit from one.

If your projects regularly require lots of repeated fabric cutting, the time savings alone may make it worthwhile.

The Electric Fabric Cutter I Recommend

If you're ready to stop cutting a few layers at a time, you can see the electric fabric cutter here on Amazon:

[CHECK THE CURRENT PRICE ON AMAZON]

This is the type of cutter I used when I needed to dramatically increase the amount of fabric I could prepare at one time.

Of all the tools I added as my sewing production increased, a powered fabric cutter was one of the tools that made the biggest difference in how efficiently I could work.

If bulk fabric cutting is the part of your sewing process you dread because it takes forever, this is one tool I'd seriously consider.

You may find yourself wondering why you didn't start using one sooner.

Happy cutting and sewing!