Accuquilt vs.Scan N' Cut vs Splice vs Sissix Vs Cricut???
 

I am wanting to start doing some art quilts, using my versions of landscape photos. This will be done with fusibles, etc. I also want to be able to do some applique--I'm not huge on this and prefer needle turned look to raw edge, but would love to some day do a Baltimore Album or something similar. So my question is--what cutting system would allow me to use standard applique shapes, but also maybe use for the more free form shapes in an art quilt--that actually works!

I've read all the threads on any of these machines and no one has said anything about the art quilts so wonder if there is something out there that would help with this too. Thanks!

I've got both the accuquilt go and the scan and cut, and the scan and cut is what you're after for what you want to do. It's the only option for cutting your own design shapes, and its easy to add a turn under seam for needleturn.

All of the fabric cutting systems use pre-made dies except for the Scan-n-Cut. You can design your own appliques and scale them to whatever size you want.

I agree - for what you want to do, the Scan N Cut is what you need. I have it and LOVE it!

The silhouette cutting machine will do fabric and can cut your own shapes

I found that your own designs that you scan in cannot be resized. The size you scan is the size it cuts. I had to resize on my printer first then scanned in into my scan n cut. The built in designs can be changed to any size.

The Silhouette does resize. You are doing the work on the computer anyway and sending design only to the machine.
I have my own choice of scanner. I can get a real high resolution scanner that I can control, not the program. ( I don't use all in ones) If the scanner doesn't get the scan right, I can use the tools in Silhouette Studio to trace it myself.

I have the scan n cut and it does resize and cut my scanned in designs plus it can draw the seam allowance in if you want.

Brother scan n cut would be my choice, can scan any applique shape in , sizzix and accuquilt are llimited to their dies and sizes, good in their own respects for multiple cutting of quilts fast, but not necessarily great for intricate art applique like the scanncut. With the scanncut you can also cut regular quilt blocks of multiple sizes but it will be slower than with the accuquilt/sizzix however you will not be limited in size. splice you are limited to their card and would be the last choice on the spectrum. I have sizzix and scanncut and see more diversity in scanncut, but I have a small sizzix and very few dies due to cost can see it costing more than the scanncut in the long run due to how expensive the dies can be. Cricut explore you can probably do the same as the scanncut, however with the original cricut even with new deep blade and multiple settings the cuts were never clean. Don't know if the explore has better cutting power fabric wise. I have know that those with the silhouette and scanncut prefer the scanncut for fabric, and my dealer said the only thing the silhouette did better was the rhinestones which the scanncut just came out with an add on for that recently . With so many machines it really makes it a hard choice. I do suggest if you get the scanncut ignore the recommended settings and start small and work your way up in pressure because many cut through mats on recommended settings. I suggest joining the yahoo or facebook scanncut groups, prefer the facebook ones. I joined one for about 6 month before my purchase to see how everyone was liking them and what type of fabric projects they were doing before getting mine because I was either gonna get that or a serger with my bonus and finally decided on the scanncut and don't regret my decision

I have resized my scanned designs in scanncut, because I had to small of a print out from the printer so I had to fix in in the scanned image to get the right size.

Thanks to all of you for the information--sounds like Scan N Cut is on my Christmas list! Sure wish that the price was lower--but doubt that is likely to happen. Guess my 2nd question is what kind of software is needed on your computer? thanks!

The scan n cut comes with everything you need, including software.

After I scanned in my own design I didn't have the options to re-size come up. Can you tell me how you did it?

The Cameo silhouette much better price than the Brother scan n cut. Advantages include you are using your laptop so you can see the designs much better than the tiny screen built into the brother unit. They had a great price on it at the Madison quilt show last weekend, but he mentioned something that made me wait and see if a new model is about to be released.

Scan n Cut has some built in shapes but also the ability to put in other designs via a usb thumb drive. This is their free website to create patterns https://scanncutcanvas.brother.com

Tell me more--I noticed in the Nancy's Notions catalog I got yesterday that the price was about $100 less. Guess the major difference I could tell from catalog info was it uses a computer and Scan N Cut doesn't? Also the ad didn't really stress that it could be used with fabric that much. Do you know who makes it? Please weigh in if you have one. Thanks!

I watched on YouTube and they said you cannot resize if it's a JPEG. You have to have saved it to a svg I think they said. Not familiar with this.

When it comes to the scan n cut, there are two different models. I'd go with the highest one because its so worth it. First of all, it comes with more accessories that covers the cost alone plus it has lots more designs. I can go into just about any brother store and get additional supplies or help. Love talking to people in person instead of online or the phone. They have an online site where you can use your computer and do many things with your designs then download them. When I scan my designs in I save them to the device which automatically saves in the format that I need so no problem there. I can always move them to USB later. It may only cut one layer at a time but it is so fast and I can set it up to take that design and cut it more than once in that one cut so I get more than one at a time. I'm only limited to how big the design is as to how many it'll cut at a time. I love the fussy cutting and being able to put different fabrics for one project on the mat at onetime and then cutting out lots of different pieces on different fabrics. This is done because you can scan the fabric into the machine plus this is how you do the fussy cutting. My only problem is that I don't have enough time to play. The other good thing, Brother is well known for being good customer support. My machines are Viking, my serger is the latest Brother and I love the scan n cut. Which also allows me to scan documents and photos, etc onto my pc too. Its not just for projects.