~ Playtime and Rotary Cutting Tips ~

Do you remember this cute little bundle?  This bundle of  Flower Sugar Rose Kiss by Lecien was curated by Pat at CottageCoutureFabrics on Etsy.  It's been next on my cutting table for months.  I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be working with these darling prints.  

After pressing each fat quarter I had to lay them all out for the full effect....GLORIOUS!

Then it was off to the cutting table where I noticed an issue(below).  Can you see the waves in the fabric?  That's not a fabric error, it's a pressing error, my error.   It's what happens when you spray starch and iron in a back in forth motion instead of pressing up and down.  What can I say other than I was excited.  Cutting into this will cause some cutting errors.  So it will need to be fixed.

The fix is easy.  A simple spritz with water then repress to allow the steam to pull the fabric back into shape..  There's still a tiny bit of wave but I think it will be fine.

My tip of the day is one I learned many years ago from Bonnie Hunter.  Over the years I've learned so much and rarely do I remember from who but this one was such a game changer there was no way I could forget.  First tip: buy a ruler with thin lines.  Second tip:  when cutting place the line on top of the fabric right on the edge. 

Below was my old method of cutting.  You would have thought I could have figured this out on my own when all my piecing was coming out a little too small.  Some think it won't make a difference in your quilt when it's such a small amount, but believe me it does!

My tip:  If you have one of these rulers with glow lines around the black line, GET RID OF IT ASAP.  I purchased this ruler after a friend told me it was the best ruler she had ever used.  I find it to be the most difficult to use due to I can't see where the black line is except for in the teeny tiny little window at the inch marks.  This is far too time consuming. Sure I could use my die cutter(Sizzix) but they waste fabric.  I find my scraps much more manageable when using a ruler and rotary cutter.

So here's the test to see how accurate my cutting has been so far.   Before cutting the strip into squares, line up the lines on the ruler with the edge(on top) of the fabric.  Perfection!  Now I can proceed with cutting the squares.  By the way I've stacked three strips together to make the cutting go a little faster.

Pretty maids all in a row.  Sigh...Florals...Love'em, Love'em, Love'em.

Now it's time to let my baby out of mud confinement.  She likes to play in the mud, digging for moles.  I don't mind that she digs and catches moles.  However I do mind the muddy feet on my cream carpet.   She's giving me her best ASPCA look.  And it worked, time to clean her muddy feet so she can be released from solitary confinement.   Poor baby.

#flowersugarrosekissfabric 

#lecienfabric

#cottagecouturefabric

#khaleesithegermanshepherd