Lovin' these four (4) applique blocks - AMAZING!
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| Hampshire Block #1 |
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| Hampshire Block #2 |
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| Hampshire Block #3 |
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| Hampshire Block #4 |
Having LOTS of FUN learning 'How To' cut w/ScanNCut - not quite a week ago today, I had NEVER cut one single/solitary thing w/ScanNCut! Once I FINALLY got started - there's NO Stoppin' me now! I even have two - an older one in the house:
and my Disney in the quilting studio. As HOT as it's been in the MidWest lately, haven't wanted to go out and learn 'How To' run the Disney one that I got 'after' Christmas last year from a friend who won at a Christmas party at work and didn't want OR know what to do with...Thanks, Roxanne! Recently, an older version - the 350cm came into my life for a song - Thanks, Veronica! And now I get to have the best of BOTH worlds.
To create my applique templates to 'cut' my applique fabric shapes, I first needed to scan to print the original shapes in black & white, scan into my ScanNCut and then SAVE to my usb thumb drive (it could be done wirelessly IF one has wifi - my metal building where my quilting studfio resides allows NO wifi ;-):
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| Applique shapes - ready to print from pattern sheet |
Once the units were scanned/SAVED, I imported ALL of them into Canvas Workspace and resized each and EVERY unit one at a time according to the sizes given in the original pattern, THEN 'after' each unit was sized properly, I reduced each unit 10% w/aspect ratio LOCKED to account for 'turn of cloth', since I was creating 'raw edge applique' pieces, rather than applique w/seam allowances. (And I didn't figure this out until 'after' I had cut my first block - the Chawton block, and NONE of the pieces would fit...they were ALL too BIG. I even had a sleepless night trying to figure this out when it hit me about 1:00 am...turn of cloth...BOOM!)
To prepare my fabric, I did what most of us do w/pressing:
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| Pressing fabric |
Spraying
Mary Ellen's on the BACK
'after' pressing:
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| My fav - Mary Ellen's Best Press |
Pressing/steaming the front
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I keep two (2) irons on my ironing board - one is STEAM,
the other is DRY - for dry pressing stabilizers like Steam-A-Seam |
After pressing/starching ALL my fabrics and making sure they were
DRY, it was time to stabilize w/
Steam-A-Seam 2 Lite:
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| Steam-A-Seam2 Lite |
I left the
Steam-A-Seam2 Lite paper backing on
'until' it was time to load my mat(s) for cutting - I keep the backing for tear-away for machine embroidery
AND for loading my freshly cut applique pieces
'until' ready to stitch-down w/cover stitch:
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LOW tack mat loaded w/Steam-A-Seam2 Lite backed fabric -
fabric side facing UP |
LOW tack mat is key to part of my cutting success:
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| LOW tack cutting mat |
Just look as these GORGEOUS cuts!
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| ALL perfectly cut! |
It did take me more than a few cuts to realize I could turn my units 'sideways' 90 degrees to get the most cuts and use of my fabric but...once I did, I was off to the cutting races!
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| Sideways cutting - Gamechanger! |
MULTIPLE units can be 'duplicated' w/press of a button on BOTH machines...BAM! (I'm used to cutting w/AccuQuilt GO! cutter w/MULTIPLE layers of fabric - once I got used to duplicating units, since we can't use multiple layers of fabric on a ScanNCut...just made perfect sense. And because I'm also used to cutting 'chunks' of fabric for my GO!, now I can cut 'chunks' for my ScanNCut...Oh, yeah, we got this ;-)
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| 350cm ScanNCut - duplicating one unit in seconds |
Brayer works great to ensure the fabric makes good contact w/mat and helps eliminate bubbles/creases:
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| Brayer works great to ensure good contact w/cutting mat and eliminate bubbles/creases |
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| Getting ready to cut units for two (2) of the Hampshire blocks |
The cuts are so precise, I can take advantage of scraps for stems, etc.
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MAXING out scraps for 'stem' cutting - the Steam-A-Seam2 helps
the scraps stick to the mat for more efficient cutting...Who knew? |
Freshly cut fabrics come off the cutting mat ready to be assembled into blocks and stitched down,
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| Stitching down Hampshire Block #1 |
Some of my chosen threads for this project - including multiple variegated threads:
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| Project threads - ALL are 40 wt. cotton |
Already checking out those Kent blocks...I have some great ideas and fabrics for them ;-)
Later,
~Deb
PS.. Check out one of the previous posts on this Jane Austen 250th BOM here for additional info - including the F R E E pattern! https://donebybettyboop.blogspot.com/2025/08/its-time-for-jane-austen-250th.html
