Accuquilt Go! Fabric Cutting Machine Review & Demo with Pros & Cons

The Accuquilt Go! fabric cutting machine is fast, accurate, and easy to use.  It is 90% faster than rotary cutting and allows for cutting up to 6 layers at once. It cuts complex shapes with ease.  In this article, we list the features, pros, cons and other useful information to help you decide if this fabric cutting machine is right for you.  In the linked YouTube video, even see the Accuquilt Go! Big cutter in action. 

Below is a short version of our full video of the Accuquilt Go! Big cutting system.  Click the link to go to YouTube for the complete video.

I was lucky to receive my Accuquilt Go! Big fabric cutting machine for Christmas this year from my husband.  I attended an Accuquilt demo earlier in the year and was interested in how fast and accurately the fabric cutter can cut blocks and shapes.

I was excited when I cut 40 square blocks for a baby quilt in around 6 minutes!  Wow, that was quick and easy and I was glad for my new gift.

In this article, you will learn about the Accuquilt Go! fabric cutting system, the pros and cons, and through the video (linked above), you can see a demo of the cutter.

As full disclosure, Needlepointers.com is an Accuquilt affiliate and if you purchase through the links at the end of this tutorial, we will earn a commission from the sale.  The products you purchase do not cost any extra to you, but it does support us to be able to keep making more videos and posts like this one.

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Now on with what you are here for...

Accuquilt Fabric cutting machine options

There are four different Accuquilt fabric cutting machine options which range in price from $129 - $599.  

• Go! Me - this is the smallest cutter and the most portable.  It retails at $129 and is hand-crank operated.  This cutter will not work with the larger dies.
• Go! - this cutter is a larger hand crank cutter.  This cutter is compatible with all dies except the ones specifically made for the studio cutter.
• Go! Big Electric - As the name states, this is an electric version of the Go! cutter which makes it even easier to use.  This cutter is also compatible with all dies except ones made specifically for the studio cutter.
• Studio cutter is a larger cutter and needs more dedicated space.  This one has dies created just for the studio cutter.  It also can use any die made for the Go! series cutters.

What Comes in the Box - Go! Big Fabric Cutting machine

The Accuquilt Go! Big fabric cutting system comes with everything you need to get started cutting blocks.

• GO! Big Electric Fabric Cutter and cord
• GO! Flying Geese Die- 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" (3" x 6" Finished).  This die includes a half square triangle (3" Finished Square) and a quarter square triangle (6" Finished Square) both in one die
• GO! Cutting Mat - 6" x 12"
• Pattern & Idea Booklet with 5 Flying Geese patterns
• User's Manual & Product Registration Card

The Go! Me, Go! and Studio cutters each come with similar items included.  Please see the descriptions of each cutter for the details.

Accuquilt Fabric Cutting machine Features

• Fast and easy to use
• All cut multiple layers of fabric at once.  The Go! series cutters will cut up to 6 layers of cotton at once.  The Studio cutter will cut up to 10 layers of fabric in one pass.
• The Go! series cutters are foldable and portable.
• Either hand-operated or automatic electric operation.
• Go! Me is compatible with more than 130 dies
• Go! and Go! Big are compatible with over 200 dies
• Studio is compatible with over 400 studio dies and the over 200 Go! dies.

About the Accuquilt Dies

Each die cuts one size and shape from the fabric.  The dies are built to last for many years.  The dies have a two-toned foam to clearly show where to place the fabric for cutting.  

The die shown below is for a flying geese block which has a quarter square triangle and two half-square triangle blocks together in one.  If you are making flying geese blocks, this makes cutting simple.  Place up to six alternate layers of your fabrics on this die and send it through the cutter to cut all of the triangles you need for 6 complete flying geese blocks.

The corners are even cut off the triangles making them simple to sew together and no dog ear ends to snip! 

Each die has sharp blades built into it.  The dense foam protects your fingers from the blades.  As the die goes through the cutter (with the fabric and cutting mat on top), the die is compressed and the blade exposed and cut through the fabric.

The dies are made to use over and over again and will last for years.

Each dies will only cut one size/shape.  If you need a different-sized flying geese block, a die for that size block would need to be purchased.  

Using the Accuquilt go! Big Electric Fabric Cutter

Now for the exciting part!  Use the cutter to cut many blocks quickly, accurately, and easily.  How many times do you cut a block at slightly the wrong size and have to re-cut again?  Well, with this cutter, you don't have to worry about that since the die always cuts 100% accurately! 

When open, the Go! Big cutter has a flat surface to prepare your dies to go through the cutter.  

Cut your fabric slightly larger (about 1/4") than the size of the shape to be cut.  The fabric can be fan-folded back and forth over the cutting area of the die to cut up to 6 layers of fabric.

It is recommended to have the selvage of the fabric should run the length of the die.  

After the fabric is layered and covering the cutting area, place the cutting mat on top.  The cutting mat is always required on top of the die and fabric when cutting.

Push the prepared die into the front of the machine.  The machine will then feed the die through to the other side compressing and cutting the fabric as it goes through.

Remove the cutting mat by sliding it to the side.  Lifting it straight up will cause the fabric to stick (through static electricity).  So, it's easiest to slide it off and the fabrics will stay in place making them easier to remove.  Below is the precisely cut fabrics.

If you only need half-square triangles, the fabric can be placed over that section of the die only to cut the fabrics as shown below.

The die can be sent through the machine to cut the half-square triangles only.

Accuquilt fabric cutting machine Pros

These pros apply to any of the Accuquilt cutters (Go! Me, Go!, Go! Big, and Studio).  

• 90% Faster than Rotary cutting
• Easy and more accurate than rotary cutting
• Cuts up to 6 layers of cotton fabric at once
• Minimizes hand, arm, and back strain
• There is a die for almost any block you want to make including really customized applique shapes.
• Includes seam allowances
• Cuts complicated shapes quickly and easily - Learn Two Ways to Machine Applique with Accuqilt Shape Dies  
• Corners on triangles are trimmed
• The Accuquilt website has hundreds of free pattern ideas to be made with the dies.

Accuquilt fabric cutting machine CONS

• Some fabric waste
• Expense of Cutter & dies
• Need to purchase separate dies for each size
• Some dies will not work with the Go! Me.
• Dies cannot be used in other brands of machines.
• Mats need to be replaced periodically

Accuquilt Go! Qube Die Set

A Go! Qube is a great way to get started with your new fabric cutting machine.  The cube contains a set of dies that can be mixed and matched to make 72 different block designs into a specific finished block size.

I purchased the 10" Go! Qube.  The dies included in this Qube can be used to make finished 10" blocks (10-1/2" with seam allowance).  The Qube comes with seven dies in squares, triangles, parallelogram, and rectangle. 

A free Go! Qube book by Eleanor Burns was included with my purchase.  This book gives some quilt ideas that can be made with any size Go! Qube.  

A downloadable PDF is available to show which dies are needed to create each of the 72 blocks.  There are also companion sets for corners and angles that can be purchased to make even more blocks.

I have not purchased any of the companion sets yet as I plan to try out the blocks I can make with the Qube first.

Features of the Accuquilt Go! Qube

• Comes in sizes 12”, 10”, 9”, 8”, 6” to make the finished size block.
• Includes cutting mats needed for use with the included dies.
• Mix and match the dies to create over 72 block designs.
• Comes with 2 squares, half-square triangle, quarter square triangle, square on point, parallelogram, and rectangle
• Comes with a free Go! Qube Book
• Web site includes many free quilt patterns to make with the dies.
• Includes the box with holders for each die to keep them organized.

The Go! Me small cutter can use up to the 9" size cube.  The Go!, Go! Big and Studio can use any size cube.

Accuquilt strip Cutting dies

The strip cutters can be used to cut bindings, borders, and even squares.  Strip cutters were the first dies that I purchased for my cutter.  They are more versatile than the other dies since you can cut long strips and then sub-cut them into squares.

The 2-1/2" strip (2" finished size) die shown above will cut 3 strips at once.  By folding the fabric over, three width of fabric strips can be cut with one pass through the cutter.  This die is perfect for cutting bindings and borders.  

Once the strips are cut, the strips can be laid across the die in the other direction and fan-folded.  Cutting them this way will cut 2-1/2" blocks (2" finished size blocks).  

If you would like to see more about the Strip Cutting Dies, click the link for a full review of them.

I will have future tutorials on using the different dies so subscribe to our YouTube channel and our newsletter so you will be informed of our new releases.

There are two strip cutter dies that work with the Go! Me, so even the smallest cutter can cut strips!

Projects I've made

Find all of our Accuquilt tutorials and project ideas through the link.  So far, I have made two projects using my Go! Big cutter.  More details about these two projects will be in upcoming tutorials.

The first project I made is this Celebration Table Runner with lots of flying geese blocks.  I used the flying geese die that was included with my cutter and fabrics I had in my stash.

Below is a baby quilt I made from leftover flannel fabric.  I found this block in the Go! Qube Book I received with my Go! Qube purchase.  I used the cutter to cut all of the blocks for this quilt except the 10-1/2" sized blocks.

Conclusion

After the demonstration, I was not sure how useful the cutter would be.  I was also confused by all of the options for the dies.  Now that I've tried the cutter, I realized how much of a time saver this will be for cutting fabrics for my quilts.  I recommend this cutter for any quilter!    

I hope this overview has helped to explain the different options and aids in your decision to purchase a fabric cutting machine. 

If you would like to get started with a fabric cutter but don't have the funds to purchase the Go! Big Electic, I recommend starting out with the Go! Me.  This cutter is more affordable and can get you started with many dies.  Since the dies can be used in the larger machines too, it's not a waste to start with a Go! Me as the more affordable option.

Do you have questions?  Click over to the YouTube video and add a comment or use the contact us page.  We do answer all questions!

Other Accuquilt Demos and Tutorials

Learn about the most versatile Accquilt die! When you see what this die can do, you will be amazed.

Other Accuquilt Go! Block Tutorials:

• Accuquilt Go! Propeller Quilt Block Tutorial - This block can be made with any Go! Qube.
• Accuquilt Double Four Patch Block - Can be made with Any Go! Qube 
• Accuquilt Hunter's Star Die - Have you wanted to make a Hunter's star quilt but it intimidated you?  Don't be!  This die makes it easy to get matching points.  Read our tutorial for many tips on assembling these blocks.