I am working on the second set of I spy and all the squares need to be fussy cut. If it was just for myself I would just draw the 5 inch square around what I want to be the focal part and then cut out with scissors.

But then I got to thinking, how does everyone else cut theirs out ? Do you draw a box around what you want and use scissors or the rotary cutter ? I do use the blue pen that washes out with water, so I don't have to worry about that. Is it ok to cut with the scissors for the exchange ?
Thanks for your help
Sharon

I am using scissors for mine :wink:

I saw a cool trick the other day and tried it for my chicken blocks....

take a piece of paper and cut out carefully the size of square you want to use. Keep BOTH pieces, the square and the bit with the square shaped hole. ;-)

Use the piece with the hole in it to "audition" your fabric, then when you're happy with it, put the "square" that you cut out back into the hole. Remove the paper with the hole leaving the square in place, and use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut around it.

Did that make sense?

Blue, makes perfect sense, but boy would I get tired walking around the table to cut all the sides :? I don't have a cutting board that turns ( and I admit I am lazy LOL) In fact as I was cutting the first one out , I was thinking I need a cutting board that turns !

Neither do I.... I do it on a smaller cutting board, and spin the whole board around on teh table. :-)

I can't walk around mine, it's against the wall. But I've found as long as I spin it round carefully, they never shift.

I think the auidtioning idea is excellent. It's hard to tell how something will look all cut out. The box would really block everything else out.

I use a clear template so I can see that the little image is centered, straight, etc. Then use my small rotary cutter. I have a bunch of 4" I-spy, so was sad that the current trade is for 5" ers.

My ruler is 5 inches and see thru so I can use it to fussy cut. I bought a turning cutting board when i was snowed in away from home. I have used it so many times I don't know what I would do without it. It is well worth using the Joanns 40% off coupon.......

I cut around the print about 1 inch bigger then I need then use a rotary cutter to cut the size. Fussy cutting is not one of my favorite things.

I managed to get a set of 3 fussy cut templates at Handcocks on sale when I was in the states 2 years ago. They are great for that. I got 2 flying geese templates too on the same sale so I am all set for any adventure! I don't have much room to move in my room so a rotary cutting mat will be my next sale item. I used a friends one day for squaring up my hst and thought I had died and gone to heaven lol