A rotary cutter is a tool generally used by quilters to cut fabric

Fabric

A fabric is a textile material, short for "textile fabric".Fabric may also refer to:*Fabric , the spatial and geometric configuration of elements within a rock*Fabric , a nightclub in London, England...

. It consists of a handle with a circular blade that rotates, thus the tool's name. Rotary blades can be found in different sizes: usually smaller blades are used to cut around corners, while larger blades are used to cut to straight lines. Several layers of fabric can be cut simultaneously, making it easier to cut out patchwork pieces of the same shape and size than with regular scissors

Scissors

Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...

. In conjunction with a rotary cutting ruler

Ruler

A ruler, sometimes called a rule or line gauge, is an instrument used in geometry, technical drawing, printing and engineering/building to measure distances and/or to rule straight lines...

 – specially designed to be used with a rotary cutter, and made of thick and resistant plastic – it is also a practical tool for achieving the straight, squared lines that are so important in patchwork. The first rotary cutter was introduced by the Olfa

Olfa

Olfa is a Japanese manufacturer of utility knives, founded in 1956. The name is derived from the Japanese words oru and ha .-Snap-off blade:...

company in 1979.