Circuit or Silhouette?

I have a Silhouette and I use it to cut stickers and vinyl. I design my own stuff in Photoshop or use shapes that I find online (or in scrapbook kits). It's pretty quick and easy. I've never tried fabric but imagine the process would not be much different.

 

Not to add to your confusion, but you may want to consider the Brother Scan and Cut machine line. They are made for fabric more than the silhouette or Cricut. I saw one a few years ago at a craft fair and it went through the fabric so easily!

I have a Silhouette, but I've never cut fabric with it. I know with the silhouette design stuff you can create your own designs. There's also a scan mat but I haven't tried it yet, so I'm not sure how it works.

 

I too have a silhouette which I've loved using. I mostly cut cardstock bits for art journaling, stickers and iron on shapes etc, but I haven't done fabric before.

I used to do a bit of applique quilting and sure would have loved a machine to cut out all those shapes out of fabric for me!

 

I just bought a cricut maker when the cricut maker 3 came out - the older versions went on sale a lot. I see they've even gone down in price again from when I bought in November. Sadly, I haven't even opened the box yet. LOL. My Nov & Dec were too busy. But as soon as I get my Christmas decorations put away I am!! It does say it will cut fabric, among a zillion other things, and that was appealing to me. I want to use it to do vinyl for shirts, cups, as well as some basic sewing projects for my TA business I'm hoping (as client gifts). That's my hope anyway!!

 

I'll add that one reason the Maker was appealing to me was that most of my IRL friends use it, and our local stores stock more Cricut than Silhouette items.

 

It's too bad there isn't a store that sells all of them, so you could go in and try them all with fabric and have someone show you how to use each one too. Sigh.

 

I've never had either. I've the idea of both over the years, but, in the end, never felt like I could justify the cost or the learning curve. I know the people who have one or the other make wonderful art projects, though.

 

I have a Silhouette, I like it even though the knife depth is not always easy to set. I like their easy to use designer suite ( it costs extra) and it works really well with the computer. (When the registration marks work )But the mats are costly, the knives are VERY expensive, and if you are going to cut fabric with it, you are going to use a LOT of both.
I would check out the" Brother scan and cut". It is made with fabric use in mind, and from what I can gather the computer program for designing is as good if not better than Silhoutte.

 

I have a wishblade which was pre cricut and silhouette. I used to make my own cut files with it. I haven’t turned it on in probably a decade.

I think you should get the one Courtney mentioned if you are considering cutting fabric.

 

I broke down and bought a Cricut. Michaels had the Explore Air 2 on sale for a really good price just before Christmas. I don't believe it cuts fabric though, think that's just the Maker.

 

Only the Cricut Maker can cut fabric! I would get the newer maker, too, as the Print & Cut feature is more refined. It was a nightmare on previous models. Anyways, you will need special blades and mats to cut fabric on the Cricut. I’ve never done it so I’m not sure how it comes out price-wise

I don’t know anything about the Brother.

Re: Cricut vs silhouette, I’ve use my Cricut almost daily for vinyl and cardstock. Silhouette software has a higher learning curve but can do much more. My mom bought a silhouette a few months ago and I’m envious of her software but - you can 100% design in Silhouette software and bring it into Cricut Design Space to cut it So don’t let the software be your deciding factor.

A couple side notes after reading everyone’s responses - just because you have a Cricut doesn’t mean you should only buy Cricut supplies. I’ll tell you that most of the industry thinks Cricut brand vinyl is awful I use my Cricut for my Etsy shop and I don’t even buy Cricut brand mats or blades. There’s a lot of “hacks” if cost is a concern. Search YouTube and you’ll be learning for days! I’d specifically search for cutting machine comparisons for fabric - I’m sure someone out there has multiple machines. Just be careful you aren’t watching a video from several years ago. So much has been updated since then!

 

I have both a Cricut Maker and Silhouette Cameo 4 and have used both to cut wool felt and fabric without any problems. These have been basic shapes with nothing intricate though. I much prefer Silhouette's designer software and library of files available in their store, but you can purchase svg files for a little more cost which you can then use with the cricut.

I'm more familiar with my Silhouette (had the original cameo before upgrading to the 4) and it cuts through vinyl and paper cleaner than my Cricut does, especially for designs with lots of smaller cuts, which is why I reach for that more often. I received the Cricut as a gift and thought I'd use it a lot more than I do...I loved the idea of cutting through thicker materials such as balsa wood but I have yet to do that and I've had it for a good 3-4 years.

 

This is awesome to hear from someone who owns both!

 

I have used a Silhouette Portrait and now have the Cameo 4. Definitely get the latest version you can. They're gotten way better!

Even though I'm a Silhouette user, I'd recommend the Cricut. It just seems more user-friendly and easier to find supplies.