Yooper32

You will have to take your hand off the crank first, Krystyna.

Krystyna

Impossible! I just pulled out some of my other dies to use on more fabric!

PaperPrincess

First, mark your die with a sharpie, extending the cutting blade lines out into the foam. This way you can easily see if you have positioned the fabric correctly. If you have a die with black foam, use a metallic color. I do this on all my new dies.
I'm assuming you have the stacked 3.5" tumbler die that cuts 3 pieces at a go.
Cut a strip of fabric the height of the entire cut, should be about 10.5", but cut 11 just to be sure.
Place the fabric on the die right side up, positioning it so the cut will be on the edge. Roll the rest of the strip up so that it will go thru the machine next to the die. Make the cut.
Now, flip the fabric to the wrong side. Should be able to nest this cut edge into the die shape. Make the second cut. Continue across the strip of fabric.
I would practice this technique with newspaper to make sure you are comfortable with it before proceeding to fabric.
Additional tips: get a notebook and write the size of the sub cut you would need for that particular die. Do some calcualting and figure out how many of those shapes you can get out of a FQ, a yard etc... I actually write this on the back of the die. I have a bunch of strip cutters and have written the size of the strip on the foam. 2" looks pretty close to 2.25.
Also use a piece of painters tape to make a perpendicular line on your strip cutter so you can cut a folded piece of fabric. Put the tape on, cut a folded piece of folded newspaper and make sure you don't have a "V". Adjust the tape until you get a perfect cut, then mark the die with a sharpie. Do this on both ends.

Yes, they make the dies to do a storm at sea, but it's not a set and one of the sections is pieced a bit differently. Let me take a look and see if I can get the die numbers.

Krystyna

Terrific tutorial! Thank you. And looking forward to the storm at sea info!

nannyrick

I knew you would love it. As long as I,m quilting, my Accuquilt will stay, and that is forever.

patski

YES! I just got the 5" blocks and have madel my own charm packs for fast quilts when I need it!! Also got the train and the zoo animals. Totally cute!!!

Krystyna

Show us what you make Patski!

PaperPrincess

Krystyna, here's the link to the storm at sea info:
http://www.accuquilt.com/go-storm-at-sea.html
the accuquilt website has lots of free patterns and other info.

BellaBoo

I've had mine for about 6 years. It still works like new. I don't think the dies are expensive considering the time they save. I use to share it at workshops and guild meetings but now I don't because it's half the price then it use to be so the people that were borrowing mine to cut their every quilt, can now buy their own.

Krystyna

Thanks, PaperPrincess! Wow, those are tiny pieces. Oh, well. Easy to cut!