Lean Mean Cutting Machine...

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to make a sampler quilt by Sizzix using a selection of their new quilting dies; easy I thought; to include as many of the 20 blocks shown here as I could, including a whole herd of Y seams; oh it'll be fine, I hoped...

The only other specification was a scrappy style, similar to this apple core quilt...

So I pulled some fabrics in advance of receiving the dies, and as soon as they came I began, and pretty much straight after, finished cutting all the pieces!

Having only really cut the mini dresden previously, I can honestly say I had not appreciated the ease and speed of using the cutter!  Resisting the urge to sound like an advert, this is so cool.  I am guessing the Go! is similar, and I am sure some of you have tried both, I haven't, but I can say this is a great bit of sturdy kit.

I had 4.5" and 2.5" squares, a 4.5" quarter-square triangle set, 2.5"x4.5' rectangle and a similar sized trapezoid to work with.

If you are not familiar with cutting dies, they are steel cutters in-bedded in dense foam, which are basically squeezed between the Sizzix rollers and cut the fabric placed between the cutting die and cutting mat.

Some even have an open centre section, useful for fussy-cutting too.

I was dubious about the wastage, but I was quite economic with my fabric, and did not use pieces that covered the whole die, making sure instead that they simply covered the cutter shape.  This may sound like I ended up cutting twice, but honestly, scissor cutting squares, rectangles and strips from the larger pieces of fabric I pulled was no bother.  Maybe cutting the 2.5" squares for this project could have been done more fabric-efficiently by rotary cutter, but it was so much faster, and as you can cut multiple pieces at a time, it was more than fine by me.  If you have odd shaped scraps to trim up, the square dies would be fantastic.

If I had had to cut these pieces by hand, I would still be at it, and the triangle and trapezoid shapes would have left a lot to be desired in the accuracy department. 

So bouyed by the super-fast cutting, I started piecing.

I made all 20 8" blocks in 2 hours!  I know I was probably sewing fast to distract me from my then computer plight, but the accurate cutting and a 1/4" foot meant that everything matched perfectly, there was no unpicking and no swearing!

I sashed with 2" white Klona...

I backed it with single piece of pink Klona, and quilted a walking-foot's width from each vertical and horizontal seam.  Simple and effective to compliment the blocks.

I am happy with all my seams and points, and I don't say that very often, if ever, until now!

As the cut pieces came out with such precision, and super-useful clipped corners, my Y seams were more perfect than I could have imagined!

The finished quilt measures up at a sweet 43" x 57".

This has been sent off to Sizzix HQ and will be accompanying them to Festival Of Quilts in a couple of weeks time!

If you are heading to FoQs, please go check out their stand; unfortunately I can't be there, but you may see a familiar face or two, and look out for the new hexie dies; I can't wait to get my hands on those!