Tips for Fussy Cutting with AccuQuilt

Have you made it a goal to work on your skills while Quilting Under Quarantine? Fussy cutting is a more advanced quilting technique that can make for really fun quilt projects. Today, Melanie Call of A Bit of Scrap Stuff shares what fussy cutting is and tips on how to do it right with AccuQuilt as well as some of her work to get you inspired!

Hi AccuQuilt friends! It's Melanie Call and today I'm going to share some helpful tips on how to fussy cut your fabric PLUS a technique to perfectly cut pattern fabric using your AccuQuilt! What is "fussy cutting"? It is when you choose to cut a specific pattern/object from your fabric. I absolutely love to fussy cut my fabric! I especially love to fussy cut the center of my blocks as it adds so much interest to your project!

We will use these tips to make a fun 18" Sawtooth Star Pillow!

Let's get started!

Supplies:

• AccuQuilt Fabric Cutter: GO! Me, GO!, or GO! Big (Studio too with proper adapter)
• GO! Qube Mix & Match 6" Block
• Pattern fabric for fussy cutting. *I used I Spy Panel (Spring) by Ann Kelle
• (9) 10" squares for star points *I used Modern Classics by Violet Craft
• ½ yard white background fabric
• ¾ yard backing fabric
• 22" x 22" batting
• ¼ yard binding OR use leftover fabric from 10" squares to create a pieced binding
• 18" pillow insert

Fussy Cutting Tips

OPTION 1

This method will require a ruler, permanent marker, and a pin.

A. Use the ruler to find the center of the AccuQuilt GO! die and mark the center with the permanent marker. Make sure the marker is permanent as you do not want it transferring to your fabric.

Example: To find the center of the 3½" square - I measured 1¾" from both sides and marked the center with my permanent marker.

B. Stick the pin through the center of your fussy cut fabric and stick to the marked dot in the center of your die.

Note: If I am cutting from a large piece of fabric, I like to roughly cut out the desired object/shape larger than the final cut size, but smaller than the die size. This makes cutting so much easier as you are not trying to roll the die and bulky fabric through your AccuQuilt fabric cutter.

C. Carefully remove the pin. Place cutting mat over die. Cut.

D. The cute little puppy is fussy cut perfectly! I chose to center my puppy with his face so the fabric lines may look crooked as the designer didn't center with the puppy's face within the fabric. The white lines will be hidden in the ¼" seam allowance so they will not be seen.

Tip: If marking on your die makes you nervous- follow the steps above, but do not draw a center mark on your die. In step B, guesstimate the center of the die and place the pin there.

OPTION 2:

I use this method to match the pattern of the fabric along the edges of the die. This method works great for fussy cutting AND when cutting striped or plaid fabric so your cuts are straight.

A. Roughly cut out the desired object/shape larger than the final cut size, but smaller than the die size. Using the cutting lines on the die, line up the pattern of the fabric to the cut lines. I folded down the fabric to show how the fabric lines are even with the cut lines on the die. You will not use a pin when cutting at home - I just needed the pin to hold down the fabric for the photo. ;)

The AccuQuilt GO! dies have two-toned foam which makes this so easy! Be sure to match the fabric pattern to the cut lines on the die and NOT the exterior of the die as the cut shape is often at an angle on the die.

B. Place cutting mat over die. Cut.

I used OPTION 2 when cutting the star points as well. I wanted to make sure my fabric was cut to match the pattern so it would be straight. You can see below how I lined up my fabric before cutting. I love the straight cuts that match the fabric pattern.

Cutting

Fussy Cut Star Center Fabric
(9) Die 1 Square - 3" finished square

Star Points Fabric
(72) Die 5 Half Square Triangle - 1 ½" finished square. You will need (8) for each block.

Background Fabric
(36) Die 4 Quarter Square Triangle - 3" finished square
(36) Die 2 Square - 1 ½" finished square

Binding Fabric
(2) 2½" x WOF strips

Assembly

A. Make (9) Sawtooth Stars.
Unfinished block measures 6½" x 6½"

Detailed directions for assembling AccuQuilt Sawtooth Star (here).

B. Sew blocks together in a 3 x 3 grid as shown below.

C. Quilt as desired.
D. Use favorite method to sew pillow backing.
E. Bind using preferred method.

Enjoy your 18" Sawtooth Star Pillow! It will look fabulous in your home!

Many of the projects I create include fussy cutting a particular object and/or cutting my fabric so the fabric pattern is straight in my blocks. This is super important for stripe, plaid, and select pattern designs as the lines will appear wonky if not cut correctly. Having well cut fabric makes a HUGE difference for your finished project!

Below are some recent projects that I was careful to align the fabric pattern with the cutting edge of the die before cutting.

GO! Drunkard's Path 7" Die

GO! 12" Log Cabin Die

GO! Glorified Nine Patch Die

GO! Qubes

Thank you so much reading my tutorial and tips for fussy cutting and aligning the fabric pattern with your AccuQuilt dies so you can have accurate and perfect cuts! It makes a HUGE difference!

Do you love fussy cutting fabric too?

If you want to see what quilty fun projects I'm working on - follow me on Instagram @ABitofScrapStuff or my A Bit of Scrap Stuff Blog.

Happy Quilting!
Melanie Call