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When we design a new product at AccuQuilt, awards are not the goal. Quilters are.
We think about how much space you have to work in, how your hands and shoulders feel after a long cutting session and how to make tools that support creativity instead of getting in the way. Every decision comes back to real people and real quilting spaces.
That's why we are so proud to share that the AccuQuilt GO! Bolt™ Electric Fabric Cutter has received a 2025 GOOD DESIGN® Award in the Household category.
The recognition reflects AccuQuilt’s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, user-centered design and to creating tools that make quilting more accessible without sacrificing precision or performance. While the award itself is an honor, what matters most to us is why the GO! Bolt stood out in the first place.
What the GOOD DESIGN® Award Represents
Founded in Chicago in 1950 by Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames, GOOD DESIGN® is the world’s oldest and most internationally recognized program honoring design excellence.
The award celebrates products that combine strong design with innovation, sustainability and meaningful function. Each year, submissions are evaluated by an international jury of design professionals who look for work that improves everyday life through form and function.
The 2025 competition brought submissions from more than 55 countries, representing a wide range of industries and ideas. After months of review, the 75th annual GOOD DESIGN jury selected more than 1,100 designs they believed demonstrated true design excellence.
Seeing the GO! Bolt highlighted among those products is beyond thrilling for us! Being recognized specifically for how the GO! Bolt balances form and function reinforces what we have always believed thoughtful design can do for quilters.
How the GO! Bolt Idea Took Shape
The idea behind the GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter did not come from a single moment or sketch. It evolved through listening.
Over time, we heard from quilters who wanted the power and precision of electric cutting in a machine that fit more naturally into their lives. Many were working in smaller sewing rooms or shared spaces, in RVs, on retreats, and at their friends’ houses. Others were looking for ways to cut fabric more comfortably with less strain on their hands, wrists and shoulders.
We saw an opportunity to rethink what an electric fabric cutter could be.
What if it could be powerful without being bulky?
Precise without feeling intimidating?
Electric but still approachable?
The goal was clear: create the right machine, one that balanced performance, portability and ease of use.
Designed for Real Quilting Spaces
The GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter was designed to deliver fast, accurate cuts, at home and on the go, while helping reduce the physical strain of repetitive cutting. Its compact, portable footprint – at about 9.5 lbs, the GO! Bolt is about 50% lighter than the GO! Big Electric fabric cutter and only a fraction of its footprint – makes it easier to fit into home sewing rooms, classrooms and shared creative spaces without giving up cutting power.
Ease of use was a priority from the beginning. The GO! Bolt was designed to feel intuitive with simple operation and minimal setup so quilters can spend less time managing their tools and more time creating.
Whether cutting fabric for a weekend project, teaching a class or settling in for a long quilting session, the GO! Bolt is designed to work with you.
Collaboration That Made It Possible
The GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter was developed through a collaborative process that brought together AccuQuilt’s internal product team with external design and engineering partners.
Product design was led by Fahrenheit Design and engineering was led by Pump Studios, both based in Austin, Texas. Working together, the teams focused on balancing power, portability and ease of use to create an electric cutter that fits naturally into how quilters work today.
This collaboration combined industrial design, engineering expertise and real-world quilting insight to shape a cutter that feels both capable and approachable.
Where Thoughtful Design Makes a Difference
Good design is not about adding features for the sake of it. It is about understanding how people use a product and designing accordingly.
With the GO! Bolt, that meant:
- A size that works in more spaces
- Operation that feels approachable, not overwhelming
- Performance that delivers consistent, accurate cuts
- Design choices that help reduce physical fatigue over time
Individually, these details may seem small. Together, they shape the experience of using the cutter day after day. They are also the kinds of decisions that GOOD DESIGN jurors look for when evaluating how form and function come together.
Recognition That Reflects Our Purpose
“This award is a tremendous honor and a testament to our team’s dedication to thoughtful design and meaningful innovation,” said Lynn Gibney, Chief Brand and Product Officer at AccuQuilt. “The GO! Bolt was created to remove barriers and bring more joy to the quilting process, and being recognized by GOOD DESIGN affirms that mission on a global stage.”
That mission guides everything we do at AccuQuilt. It is about designing tools that adapt to quilters instead of asking quilters to adapt to their tools.
The GO! Bolt is one expression of that commitment. Seeing it recognized for its design confirms that listening to quilters and designing with intention truly matters.
A Place Among Award-Winning Designs
The GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter now joins a distinguished group of products recognized by GOOD DESIGN® for advancing design excellence and improving everyday experiences through form and function.
For AccuQuilt, this recognition reinforces the idea that quilting tools deserve the same level of thoughtful design as any other household product. Creative tools play an important role in how people spend their time, express themselves and build community.
Looking Ahead
Quilting continues to evolve, and so do the spaces, tools and needs that shape it. At AccuQuilt, we remain committed to designing products that respect tradition while embracing thoughtful innovation.
The GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter represents that balance. It is a tool built for today’s quilters with comfort, efficiency and long-term creativity in mind.
Winning a 2025 GOOD DESIGN® Award is an honor. Even more meaningful is knowing that the GO! Bolt helps quilters spend less time struggling with setup or strain and more time doing what they love.
The AccuQuilt GO! Bolt Electric Fabric Cutter brings power, precision and accessibility together in one thoughtfully designed machine.
