Ginnie Lynn runs her safety talk as an airline briefing. Welcome aboard Flight Nine Patch, flight time approximately one quilt top, two bobbin changes and three cups of coffee. Then she hands you a seven question quiz and tells you what kind of quilter you are.
The questions are the seven places where quilters actually get hurt. Is the rotary cutter locked and covered when it is not in use, or somewhere on the table. Is the light bright enough to read the lines on the ruler. Are your feet covered. Are you overreaching when you cut, with your fingers near the edge of the ruler. Is the chair doing anything for your back. Are your fingers clear of the needle. Does the ruler have grips or handles, or does it slide.
Score four points for every A, three for B, two for C and one for D. From 23 to 28 you are the cautious quilter, and she suspects you read the rotary cutter manual for fun. From 16 to 22 you are the risky stitcher, safe most of the time until creativity takes over. From 7 to 15 you are the hazardous quilter, and she says that one with love while hoping the paramedics are on speed dial.
What makes the video worth ten minutes is that the jokes are carrying real advice. Barefoot quilting, she says, is not a personality trait. Slipping rulers cause more quilting drama than the arguments about prewashing and pressing combined. The plane has six exits and none of them gets you to the emergency room fast enough.
The Quilter's Bible has a section on cutting safety that agrees with her line for line: wear something on your feet in case you drop the cutter, cut away from yourself with your fingers well clear of the ruler's edge, replace the blade guard after every cut, and keep the blade sharp, because a dull one needs more pressure and is the one that slips. It adds two she does not cover, keeping cutting tools away from children and pets, and wrapping old blades before they go in the bin.
The ruler question is the one most of us would answer with a C. If your cutting is the part that needs attention, our guide to cutting fabric accurately covers the grip, the ruler and the blade. Ginnie Lynn's other videos are on her channel.
