Review on OLFA CHN1 Chenille Cutter by Carol Miller

I have read other reviews before and after my purchase and I am NOT disappointed in my purchase of this tool! I don't know why some people have so much trouble with it! A few things come to mind - they aren't bias stitched or cut - you can do both, but you have to. If you try to cut with a straight grain there WILL be problems, not the first of which is the lack of a true chenille effect. It will also clog horribly and not "stay on track". I don't have a walking foot on my machine, but I've made some 7-ply flannel scarves and used this tool with the SAME blade position with no problems. These scarves are 8" wide and 6' long with 1/2" channels. I can't sew that many layers very straight without the walking feed, and I've had no problem with "getting off track" while cutting. And I have terrible arthritis! As long as I use a foot width on the instrument that matches the width of my canal, I'm fine. I have very few clogs, and what collects (and flannel is the worst option!) I just quickly dig up with the tip of the ripper. I did NOT have to take it apart to clean or advance the blade. Another problem that some people can have is the wrong connection of the layers of fabric. If you don't sew or staple (thread or spray) them and watch for open seams in your layers, the tool will slip underneath and make the wrong cut. But if you overlap, zigzag and/or spray them a bit then the cutter should fall further over the layer you are trying to protect. I think it's easy to hold onto; I actually expected it to be a lot bigger. I can work very quickly without stopping and realigning when cutting. There are some great videos on YouTube on how to use it and how to make fake chenille. I encourage users to try them. If anything changes when I do additional projects with other types of fabric I will edit this review. Happy sewing!