Fabric for Fussy Cutting

I did not fussy cut any of the shapes for my version of the Case of the Stranger in Margaritaville mystery quilt because I did not have a fabric in my stash that I thought would work.

The key to Inklingo No Waste Fussy Cutting is finding the right fabric!

This method is similar to Stack n Whack™ and One Block Wonder. The fabric determines how happy you will be with the results.

 

Fabric for fussy cutting

This is an old Kona Bay design. (2012)

I love fussy cutting, so I decided to audition it for the Key West Beauty 6 inch diamonds.

 

Measure the repeat in the fabric.

First, I measured the repeat in the fabric parallel to the selvage. This one is 11.375 inches (11 3/8) after washing.

Then I checked the Catalogue of Shapes to see if any of the diamond layouts for Key West 6 inch diamonds would fit in the repeat without a lot of waste.

 

Key West Beauty 12 diamonds

Hooray! If I print 5.5 x 11.25, I get 12 diamonds, so I could print 8 identical sheets to get 96 diamonds (12 sets of 8 identical diamonds).

There would only be a tiny sliver (1/8 inch) between the identical sheets of fabric if they are laid out parallel to the selvage.

(There is an article about fussy cutting on QuiltingHub with more illustrations, if you need to visualize this.)

I need to make sure I have at least 8 repeats. If I cut them all in a row, (8 sheets of FP parallel to the selvage), I would need about 96 inches or about 2.75 yards. If I have less than that, I would look for identical repeats across the fabric too. (There may be more variation in the printing of the fabric, so it is nice to keep them all in a row, if possible.)

 

Inklingo Window Template

Next, I printed the Diamond A layout on scrap paper to make a window template.

I think this could work but a few of the diamonds might be a bit boring because there is quite a bit of background between the flowers.

 

Variation with Key West Beauty Shapes

I could print 8 identical sheets of fabric for blocks like this . . .

.

block-for-fussy-03

. . . and this . . .

 

Fussy Cut Key West variations

. . . or I just print 4 identical sheets. . .

 

Fussy Cut Key West variations

. . . or use up the “boring” bits with other sets!

Preparing a window template works better for me than acrylic templates because I can move the window template around before I decide how to position the first sheet of freezer paper, so I can get the most interesting diamonds possible.

 

Key West Beauty 6 inch sample quilt

This design uses 25 blocks, and 12 of them could be fussy cut star blocks.

You can design more quilts with the blocks in the free Electric Quilt project file for the Key West shapes.

Key West Beauty 16 diamonds

Another option is to print 7.25 x 11.25, for 16 diamonds on each sheet instead of only 12. Then I could choose the 12 sets of 8 identical diamonds that I like the best.

The other 4 sets of diamonds could be used for something else. This approach could “waste” some fabric but it could make it possible to use a fabric for fussy cutting despite the boring bits in the design.

The Case of the Stranger in Margaritaville

Reminder: The special intro price of $20 for the Key West Beauty 6 inch shape collection has been extended but it will end in a few days.
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Print quilt shapes on fabric

Of course, you know that there are other suggested Custom Page Sizes too.

Love the lines. Quilt more!

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Already in the case file:

Of course, this fussy cutting method works for ANY shapes, including the diamonds in the free shape collection (link below).

I’m still thinking about this fabric. It is washed and draped over the ironing board now.

What do you think?

Linda & Monkey

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6 thoughts on “Fabric for Fussy Cutting”

  1. These are beautiful and there were some blue ones that would also be pretty. I agree with Cathi, I think the sale of two and three yard cuts must be increasing with these patterns. Maybe we will see a new name for those cuts.
    Linda

    Reply
  2. Aw, this came a day too late. I fussy cut my mystery “pink” fabric but wished I had done the window to see what I’d get. I did consider it but time was tight. We’ll see if what I got will be fun or a flop.

    Reply
  3. I actually really like having some ” boring” bits on the fabric. It makes finding my neutrals really easy and is guaranteed to go with the fancy bits!
    Janet

    Reply
  4. You have the best fabric in your stash!!! I think Inklingo No-Waste Fussy Cutting/Printing has to be having an impact on the number of sales of fabrics in two and three-yard amounts! I know it has done that for me!

    Reply
  5. What a lovely fabric, Linda. Definitely looks like a good choice for fussy cutting Key West diamonds. It isn’t always easy finding the right fabric for fussy cutting. Betsy

    Reply

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