Monday, November 22, 2010

AccuQuilt's Go Cutter at work...

I am the lucky new owner of AccuQuilt's Go! fabric cutter. It uses an ingenious design developed by the president of the company, who is also an engineer, to accurately cut your fabric in shapes determined by the dies you use in the machine. It is not electrical...you just turn a crank to run fabric through the machine. You can cut multiple layers at once too.

Here's a link to learn more about it.

I plan on making several service quilts over Christmas and will be putting the Go! to hard use then. But in the meantime I put it to the test to try cutting some 1 1/2" velvet strips with it. Velvet as we know is incorrigibly badly behaved in general. I wrote about how to tame this animal for CQMagOnline here. But velvet bias tape? That was way beyond me...

Until I put my Go! to work, teamed up with its new best friend in my sewing room, Simplicity's electric Bias Tape Maker. The results just thrilled me......

A strip of silk/rayon velvet awaits its transformation, from a longish scrap...

...to these perfect strips! How cool is that?
I cut some cotton velveteen too, and then ran both fabric strips through the bias tape maker.

This picture shows me pulling a strip of velveteen through the folding tip, past that silver heating element. While the machine is actually running, the heating element has a safety case that snaps into place so you can't burn your fingers. A little electric motor movers the fabric through...but with velveteen and velvet both, I tugged it as well because it is so thick. This worked fine.

And would you look at that? The velvet is below, the velveteen above. There is no way on God's green earth I could have gotten such straight bias tape (without squished edges) out of that velvet with a rotary cutter, ruler, and iron.

So, what was I going to do with this?
A little project for a friend that is doubling as a warm up for my next quilt, after Bars and Stripes is done. If I can wait that long. I am loving these fabrics!!!

This is 18" X 18" and it is going to be a pillow. I love the velvet with the flannel and wool...and you know it is impossible for me not to include flowers somewhere, somehow...

10 comments :

Vicki W said...

Ooooh, the velvet looks fabulous in that block!

Deb Hardman said...

Wow, I think I should add that to my wish list! That is so cool!

& of course the block is fabulous!

Rachel said...

The velvet strips really bring a sense of unity to all the disparate fabrics in the block, don't they. Isn't it wonderful when a plan works out!

Anonymous said...

Wow that is amazing I have to make a crazy quilt for my manager out of wool tartens and velvets you make it look very easy with the machines don't have those yet. Great job Linda

CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS said...

Hello Allie,

First congratulation on your lovely new book. I have pre-order it and I am looking forward to seeing it very much.

I think the Accu Quilt Go and Bias folder is very cool too. Loved how you used it in your very pretty block.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your Family. Hugs Judy

Debra Dixon said...

You are breaking me down one picture at a time--went to bed last night discussing the Go Cutter as I drifted off to sleep . . . such pillow talk!

Definitely like what you have done here!

Marty52 said...

Ooooo... new toy!! Looks like a winner from here, Allie. And, speaking of winners... I love that block! Who knew that all those fabrics would work together, and yes, I really think the black velvet pulls everything together. I'll have to file that away for future reference.

Conni said...

Great technique! Very cool machine! And I love that fabric combo!

Thanks for your nice comment on MAH SHOOZE!

Susan Elliott said...

OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First of all...that block is TDF! Love love love the flannel with the velvet...Now, I might really like to make a full bed quilt THIS way. Eureka!

Secondly, I feel like I just went through a mini-seminar and I didn't have to pay a thing!!!!!

I had never read your article in CQ Mag and that was awesome and then I love the bias velvet strips...but s*&! -- I don't really want to buy any new tools...If you ever go into the velvet bias cutting business...I'll be first in line.

But, since there's little hope for that...I'll just have to drool.

I am curious as to how the accu cutter actually cut the rectangles...was there a rectangle die specifically used for this?

Anyway, hope your T-day was wonderful and I'll chat at you soon...

Unknown said...

wow amazing
saree wholesale | wedding sarees online | salwar kameez online | sarees online shopping | buy indian sarees online