Monday, October 28, 2019

~ 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



Pin It

11 comments:

  1. I would not be able to resist that look at all!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know that ruler tip is something I wondered about when I first started quilting. I'm sure you're going to help a lot of people by pointing that out. :-)
    Khaleesi looks so gentle....she's certainly a sweetheart!

    ReplyDelete
  3. when I lived in FL my lab learned the word PAW! as she got her feet wiped every time she came in from the yard. I am one who loves the glowing ruler best. I also lay the lines on the fabric but prefer it to the only black ones. Thanks for another beautiful post! LeeAnna

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for those reminders and tips! I only have one ruler with thin lines so will see about fixing that! I have been struggling with accuracy on my flying geese. What method have you found to work best for you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Janice.....Hope you and Lea Anne don't mind me honing in. I personally love Quilt In A Day flying geese rulers (not the one with all sizes built into one but you might like it) because it makes 4 at a time, they come out just a tiny bit oversized so you can trim them up. If you only want 1 or 2 you may not want to invest in them. I still struggle to trim them sometimes because of the bulky seam so I invested in a Bloc Loc Flying Geese and Half Square Triangle in my favorite most often used sizes. They have a groove built in to avoid that rocking motion on the seam. Creative Grids is my favorite ruler brand but sometimes I buy specialty rulers/templates like the ones I mentioned. I love reading all these comments. I don't think any one ruler is for everyone. Quilt in a Day and Bloc Loc does have some YouTube videos if you're interested in any of them.

      Delete
  5. Cut so the line is ON the fabric!? Well. Huh. I've been cutting with the fabric centered (as nearly as I can see it is) on the lines. What if you have a mix of ruler brands in various sizes, use them all, and aren't in a position to replace them for a while?

    Khaleesi is gorgous! I've said for years that a tired dog is a good dog...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been struggling with that too, trying to have the line on the edge centered on the fabric edge! Thank you for this clarification to get this right!

      Delete
  6. Thank you for those reminders and tips! I only have one ruler with thin lines so will see about fixing that! I have been struggling with accuracy on my flying geese. What method have you found to work best for you?

    ReplyDelete
  7. OMG that face is adorable! And the fabric is too. ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Khaleesi has really made strides and it's great to see her in a happy home finally. What I hate cutting and sewing is pre-cuts with a zig zag. I like to buy from those who don't pink the edges. I know it's to reduce raveling but it's just confusing to me. Creative Grids is my favorite brand but I have a lot by Q.I.A.D because they're not as confusing to look at and I have all her square up rulers because I bought them before I knew about Creative Grids. I'll buy specialty rulers from time to time. I have some of the yellow with black line but don't use them as much. Some people caution against using your cutting mat to measure with, some swear by it, some say it doesn't matter as long as you stick with one or the other. I'm just easily confused the older I get.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Excellent tips!! I just finished a quilt using Flower Sugar fabrics. They are so pretty! Can't wait to see what you create with yours!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. At this time I can only respond to comments in the comments section. So if you want to see my reply to your comment check the notify me option in the bottom right corner of the comment box and blogger will let you know when I respond to your comment. Thanks for understanding!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...