WHAT IS FUSSY CUTTING?
Fussy cutting for quilting refers to the technique where specific motifs or patterns in fabric are carefully selected and cut out to be prominently featured in a quilt block or design. It involves deliberately cutting fabric pieces in a way that captures a particular design element, such as a flower, animal, or geometric shape, and then incorporating those pieces into the overall quilt layout. It is a perfect way to highlight elements of your favourite fabric and play with shapes and colours.
The goal of fussy cutting is to showcase the chosen fabric's design in a precise and intentional manner. By strategically cutting and placing the fabric, quilters can create stunning visual effects and highlight specific elements within the fabric print. This technique is particularly useful when working with fabrics that have large-scale or repeating patterns.
Tools for fussy cutting
Paper templates if you are doing English Paper Piecing.
Glue stick for quilt fabrics, like sewline
Acrylic templates ( 3/8th for EPP and 1/4 for machine piecing)
Rotating mat, the mat facilitates cutting around the acrylic shapes with minimum shifting of your fabric.
Mirror for fussy cutting to test out shapes before cutting your fabric.
To fussy cut, quilters typically use acrylic templates to identify and mark the desired design elements on the fabric. These markings on the acrylic templates serve as guides for accurate cutting, ensuring that the chosen motifs are captured precisely. Once the pieces are cut, they can be sewn together with other fabric blocks to construct the quilt top.
Types of fussy cutting
It can be a simple motif that is centered in your required shape, for example a square in a square block.
Creating a kaleidoscope by cookie cutting the same motif repeatedly. It works best with a design that has symmetry.
Using a stripe fabric which can be used to border your blocks or create chevron borders.
Fabric choices
The types of fabrics that work with fussy cutting are those with repeat elements. Fabrics have repeat patterns at variable distances which determines how much fabric you need to purchase. For example, when making a six pointed star, your fabric should have the motif you want repeated at least 6 times, likewise if it is an eight pointed star you need eight repeats. Quilt shops can assist you in calculating the fabric requirements needed for your project.
Other fabrics to consider using that can make interesting accents with fussy cutting are dots and stripes.
Picking your motif
Cutting out templates of paper can help you find parts of the fabric design you need to use. You can move the window around to isolate the design you want to cut out.
When you want to cut the same motif for the kaleidoscope effect you can add some scotch tape tape to the underside of your acrylic template on your first fabric cut. The fabric will adhere to your template and you can then move this around on your fabric to help you find the exact spot to cut the next piece.
Fussy cutting adds an extra level of detail and creativity to quilting projects. It allows quilters to personalize their designs, create focal points, and highlight specific themes or images within the fabric. This technique requires patience, attention to detail, and careful planning to achieve the desired effect in the final quilt.
Below are some samples of fabrics that work well for fussy cutting.
Comments