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| A carefully planned bird... |
Cutting fabric for a project is my least favourite part of the sewing process. That said, I'm usually quite particular about taking the time to ensure that this is done properly.
I've had a couple of oopsie moments, but I don't usually rush through allocating and cutting fabric. One of the reasons is practical: I hate to waste fabric and always try to maximize leftovers for future use.
The other reason should apply to everyone who sews. Simply put, how you cut fabric affects how the finished item will look. In many cases, rushing through this step will yield less than optimal results.
And yet I know — just as you know — that many of us are so eager to get to the sewing part that we just slap down our templates and cut away without giving much thought as to what is the best way to cut.
But if the fabric that we're cutting is an 8" x 8" square, it's imperative to pause and plan.
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| image courtesy of Roostery... |
Every now and then I look through my stack of Spoonflower swatches and think, what can I do with these?
When I came across the "Little Birdie" pattern, I knew this swatch was going to be perfect for it... if I used it right.
With just an eight inch square of fabric, it's essential to make sure that desired elements are visible and in the proper place. That's right: fussy cutting is absolutely necessary.
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| My Sunrays birdie... |
When I first got back into sewing, the term "fussy cutting" was new to me. (Luckily, the internet came to my rescue.) After understanding what it meant, I knew that my frugal attitudes towards fabric would have me doing as little of it as possible.
Therefore, today's post is about 1) when it's necessary to fussy cut, and 2) when — and how — to avoid it. My little bird project will act as a springboard for the discussion.
This pattern suggests one fabric for the bird's body, back and tail, and another fabric for the wings and tummy. (But it's just a little bird and the size is perfect for using up scraps, so feel free to go eclectic on it if you want.)
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| BTW, here are all of my birdies swinging on a mobile... |
My previous birds — seen above — were sewn up with four different fabrics. (With the assistance of some twigs from the back yard, some hot glue and some fishing line, all three birds are now hanging mobile-style in my bathroom.)
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| A tiny lesson in fussy cutting... |
After cutting out the paper templates and shuffling them around, I confirmed that the swatch would be sufficient for the main parts of the body. For the remaining, some matching (gray) scraps from a Jysk pillowcase, last seen on one of my scalloped edge fat quarter baskets would do the job.
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| My Spoonflower swatch yielded just enough fabric... |
As you can see from the picture above, my fussy cutting required using some of the swatch's white border for the back part of the bird's body. If I hadn't done that, the final placement of the bird's wings would have been smack on top of the yellow circle.
So there you have situation #1 for when fussy cutting is required. If the piece that you're working on will end up being covered by something, fussy cut it so that you're not hiding the best elements of your fabric.
Or, fussy cut the fabric for the element that's going to be placed on top in such a way that it matches the print underneath. (That's usually the solution for patch pockets on top of a garment or a bag, but in this case, the wings look better with a different fabric.)
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| Fussy cutting every piece... |
Speaking of the wings.... the pillowcase fabric features a circle print that's the perfect size for each one, as you can see in the picture above. So here's situation #2 for when you should fussy cut. If what you are sewing is an important element that should stand out and be noticed, fussy cut the fabric for it.
In this case, since there are two wings, I also decided to make them identical. (By the way, each wing has an underside that sits against the body of the bird and is not seen; no need to cut those pieces in any special way.)
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| His eyes are just pins for now... |
The same principle applies to the bird's tail. I wanted to feature the yellow part, so I cut the tail pieces at an angle to include as much of the yellow circle as possible. Because the tail is one cohesive element that can be seen on both sides, the two fabric pieces should be the same; i.e., another situation where fussy cutting is recommended. (But this is not a hard and fast rule. A purse handle or strap can be seen from both sides, but I wouldn't fussy cut it.)
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| View of his tail and back... |
In the case of my bird here, you might say that the piece for his back was fussy cut also, even though that happened by accident. All that was left of the swatch after the body and tail pieces were cut was a symmetrical strip down the middle that was just the right size.
Sometimes things just work out that way. ;-)
So when — and how — might you avoid fussy cutting?
The print or pattern on the fabric usually dictates your need to fussy cut. The larger or more elaborate the print, the more you'll want to pay attention to how you cut pieces for a project. If the fabric features a small, nondescript pattern, you probably won't have to worry much about fussy cutting.
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| He kinda looks like a fish from this angle...! |
Example? Consider a purse with four strap anchors, two on each side. Regardless of size of print or pattern of the fabric, if you take care not to feature a specific fabric element on one strap anchor, you can get away with not doing so on all four; i.e., no fussy cutting involved.
But if you did highlight something specific on one strap anchor — like I did with the wings of my bird — it might look odd if the others were different.
Finally, if you make the strap anchors out of a fabric that's just a solid or has a ditsy (tiny) print, you won't need to worry about any fussy cutting.
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| This would look totally different if the fabric had been randomly cut... |
Let me show you a couple of examples from a past project. This is the front panel of my custom Summit Pack.
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| No need to fussy cut the zipper cover... |
The zipper cover was supposed to be cut from the main fabric (the one with the circular flower shapes). I didn't have enough of that fabric, period, so I was forced to use my coordinating fabric.
But if you look closely, you might say that had I used the main fabric for the zipper cover, it would have to be fussy cut. The fabric's print is so obvious that it wouldn't look right if it didn't match the piece right above it (the part with the clips). Of course, if I'd had enough fabric to use on that piece, I would put its template right next to that upper panel during the initial fabric cutting to ensure somewhat of a match; i.e., apart from seam allowance.
So there's a case for how to avoid fussy cutting: if you can manage it, use a different fabric right next to/on top of a print that would otherwise require matching to look good.
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| No need to fussy cut side by side fabrics that feature small prints... |
Notice also how the print on the zipper cover doesn't match the direction of the print on the front panel? No? It's not that noticeable because the pattern on the fabric is small and nondescript. Therefore, no need to fussy cut.
What's your opinion? Are you a perfection-seeking fussy cutter? Or do you cringe at the thought of the wasted fabric that sometimes results from fussy cutting?
It's not so much that I cringe at the thought of the wasted fabric, it's more that I find it hard to get the fussy cutting just right, so I avoid it if I can. Great job on the fussy cutting with your cute bird.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a project just needs to be fussy cut. Cute bird. I would have stuck in a bit of gold felt for a beak if it were my bird. Not being judgmental Rochelle, so don't take it wrong, just thought the little birdie needs a beak.
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