Adventures of Cutting Fabric With the Cricut

So... Many many people have said you can cut fabric with the cricut and I have even watched videos and I have no idea how they can but I cannot. So here is my experience.

First I tried the first way I heard was to iron on heat and bond to the back of the fabric and leave the paper on and use masking tape to keep it held down on the mat. I did this several times trying letters and shapes, did NOT work.

Second I used just fabric on the mat with the tape, did NOT work.

Third I saw a tut where they starched the fabric to make it stiff. stuck it to the mat and viola clean cut. For me it did NOT work.

I tried starching and heat and bond combination and still didn't work. I am very frustrated. As cricut claims it will cut fabric. I even bought a new mat (in a pack of two) thinking mine were just not sticky enough. As well as installing a new blade.

I bought the cricut for the multiple uses as in scrap booking as well as fabric cutting. Well I haven't been doing much scrap booking lately and honestly I am very upset (not like crying or anything just angry) I feel like I just cant figure it out. Any way if you have any secrets or and tips that you know please fill me in!!!

For  those that may ask:
                                 Yes I was using 100% cotton
                                  It is a Cricut Expression
                                  If you use heat and bond and pull off the paper on a new mat the mat will just pull off  
                                  some of the bonding stuff.        

I had a vision I could cut what ever shape the Cricut does into my fabric and no way! Please let me know if you have had a similar or different experience.

Here is a link I found about cutting fabric with cricut http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=4838822

Edit: Here are some pics of what I was ending up with...

I did get it to work however it was with a larger cut no smaller than 2.5in and it was with heat and bond on and paper also kept on leaving the backing on the mat, however it cut. Minus a few corners i took my scissors to and it was good. 

Feeling ambitious...

So I do a ton of searching the internet to get inspired and looking at all kinds of things and videos. That's also  how I learned to do everything. But anyway I am always looking up scrap quilts, I have some weird fascination with the beautiful colors and just the look of them! So I found these patch quilts. They are made up of tiny squares most are 1in squares and some are 2in squares. Here are some examples...



 http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/100-patch-quilt-tutorial/


http://www.redpepperquilts.com/


http://wendigratz.blogspot.com/2011/09/stripey-scrap-quilt-step-2.html


http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/category/tutorials/


http://quiltville.com/scrapbargello.shtml

So there's several variations! I really hope to make one of these one day. Maybe I should cut 1in squares of my scraps from projects and hopefully one day have enough to make something like these.

Crochet Quilt Progress

So today I have been crocheting away I have actually run out of a few of my rolls of yarn on this one. Which is a big accomplishment! I am happy to use any of my crafting supplies up, I have so much I don't even know  what I have. I have more squares in the pic but here's some what of an idea what it will look like. 

As of now I have about 130ish squares and its not even half as big as I had hoped it to be. But I have run out of a few of my balls of yarn for this one already but I'm happy to use up some more of my stash. 

UPDATE: 5/1/12 

It is getting bigger slowly but surely. 

A look into my craft room (A messy one)

For a look into my craft room (which is usually very clean but not in this pic sorry) here are some pics... I am still trying to figure everything out as to where to put it all. 

So in this pic is mostly fabric stacked on my desk, did I mention I just bought this lady's whole entire stash that filled 3 and a half large trash bags for 25? Yea, I couldn't pass it up! 

So in this white thing is quite a bit but not all of my yarn stash. and the basket down in front is full of fabric swatches from a decorator business. And the hamper is full of old t shirts because I know one day I will get around to using them..

Actually here is the project I have started a few years ago with them and I know one day I'll get around to finishing it. 

Pinwheel Quilt block tutorial

So I got to thinking I could show you how to make the pinwheel square. So if anything like me I cannot cut triangles and the other cheat of taking a square and sew in half diagonally also wasn't for me. So Here is how I learned to do it from the Missouri Quilt Star Co. This will also work for several other patterns. THe combinations are limitless. 

First you will want two fabric squares (mine are 5in each) One needs to be the print and one a plain color or whatever your design is. 

You want to sew them right sides together. All the way around. Yes you want to sew so the bad sides of both fabrics are showing. 

Then cut across from one point to the other. 

Repeat the other way. 

You should have this. 

Open the triangle and press seam to dark side. 

Cut the little triangles left on each square you just made. 

Here are some of the ways you can lay these out..

It will look like it wont fit if you are doing a pinwheel but sew the top two together and the bottom two together it will look like this. 

Then sew the top and bottom and you will have a nice pinwheel block. 

Note that if you happen to get some that are a little wonky like this one it really is NOT a big deal. It is handmade so minor mistakes make it special. I wont tear seams over something so little. When you get 100 of these together if someone notices then I would say they are a little to meticulous.  

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I hope it inspires you to do something special. Also your pinwheels can be made up of several different patterns and colors all in one it just depends what style you want to go for! 

Progress and Activity

Crochet afghan in progress. 

So I have been crocheting away on this little afghan. Well when I can anyway lol. So here is what I have so far.

When my hands get tired or my eyes get tired of looking at green and blue here is what else I have been working on. 

A tool belt.

A race car holder and track! 

The little guys get so excited when they get something to play with! 

Also I decided to start working on some Christmas gifts, I know its early but I tend to start things and not finish them for a while so start early. :) This is the first time I tried pinwheels and I love it! Here are my first few pinwheel squares! 

I think when I get them all sewn together it will make an awesome quilt. its for my great grandma and I think she will love the colors. Great way to use scraps as well. 

What I've Been Working On

So sorry it has been a few since my last post. I actually got a steal at an estate sale and bought 4 huge black trash bags full of brand new yarn for $40.00 it was truly the best deal ever! So i have been working away with all the yarn. So excited because it has been awhile since I did andything with yarn other than a few rugs. So any way here are some of the things I have been working on. I tried to attempt knitting. I used to know how and now I got the needles out and it wasnt impossible but would take me several eternities before actually finishing, not to mention what a goof I look like attempting to go as fast as I used to. So any way here are the pics...

First here are some flower squares to make a small covering for the back of the couch. Im hoping to make around 76 of them and make it a one of a kind thing.



Here are a few squares this is what I have been working on most of the night (when kids werent screaming lol)

Afghan/blanket in the making

A closer look....

Hoping to make some kind oversion like this. Instead of using that many balls etc I decided I would rather use a shade of blue and a shade of green in the squares, itll make it thicker and I think a cool effect of color.

And this was my forst crochet basket. I think it turned out pretty good but definately a few changes for the next time and the handles are a little bigger than id like. but works for holding the balls of yarn and keeping them while I have ongoiong projects.

And inside...

I also made a blue one it is the ombre effect I just havent got it totally finished yet but as soon as I do you will get some pics of it as well.

I will also post some pics of the yarn I got, my tiny craft room would be about to burst at the seems. I had to get creative with storing it.