I have a Cricut but have not used it much. I scrap book cause I think it is important to preserve the pics but I do not really enjoy it at all, but I love the idea of making quilt blocks with it. Can any of you give me some info?

I don't have Cricut, but have a comment for you. I also believe that is important to preserve pics, but a shoe box is enough for me. If I don't enjoy I don't do it, period. Now, trying the cricut on fabric sounds like a great idea to me. Please let us know who it works for you.

Maria

I don't have one, but the ad shows them cutting fabric with it.

Somebody on this board... who I can't remember her name right now... sent me a magazine when I mentioned my Cricut after Christmas this year.

The article said that you have to starch the heck out of the fabric. Get it as stiff and board-like as possible (like cardstock I beleive they said) and then use the Cricut. Not exactly quilting friendly!?

I tried one piece. Enough said.

I use my Cricut for quilting. That's actually why I got it in the first place. It works great! I love it! You don't have to starch your fabric, just use Heat-N-Bond.

the cricut is kinda expensive so you might as well just buy the accucut which is designed for quilters.

The price has come down quite a bit since its release. I love it!

You can use the machines made for paper on fabric? but you have to make it stiff . What results do u have if you don't.

Ok another question. In some of the Eleanor Burns videos she uses some kind of cutter for straight cuts. What is it
.

It doesn't cut correctly if its just plain fabric, the blade gets caught up and pulls the fabric.

ruth

is it for cutting strips - that would be the simplicity strip cutter. i'm promoting this store its just for reference in this post.

http://www.cottonclub.com/cgi-bin/St...es=0&lastmenu=

how do you get the heat and bond off the fabric after you've cut it?

You keep it on.

so you're using it for raw edge fusible applique?

Yes or you could cut the same shape just smaller of freezer paper for needle turn.

Also you can cut template plastic with the Cricut.

so you're attaching heat n bond to the fabric and then attaching freezer paper to the heat and bond and doing a needle turn.

are you cutting the freezer paper with the cricut too?

Yes, you cut the freezer paper with the Cricut, plus you can cut template plastic with the Cricut. :)

but why are you using the heat n bond if you're doing needleturn it makes the fabric so stiff.

Because I suck at doing applique around the raw edge so I like needle turn better.

i understand, i prefer the look of needle turn and use it whenever possible.

what i don't understand is why you need to use heat n bond for needle turn, if you can cut freeze paper on this machine why aren't you attaching the fabric to the freezer paper and cutting it that way?

or you could use fusible interfacing which is only glued on one side.

i'm not trying to give you a hard time, i'm sorry if its coming off that way.

i'm OCD and there's a thousand ways to do applique and your way might be better and i would like to understand your method.

please forgive my interrogation like posts :oops:

Are you serious! You mean I can have sweet little letters all accurately cut for me?

Correct me if I am wrong... You iron the heat and bond on the wrong side of the fabric. Attach the paper backing, and fabric to the cutting mat, load the mat and cut?

I hope this works!

All I do is apply the heat and bond to the fabric, remove the backing paper and the put in on the mat.

Not a problem! I'm not taking it the wrong way, questions is the only way to get answers right :) . When I first got my Cricut I used to use the heat and bond with the freezer paper for a stiffer applique, now I just cut the freezer paper with the machine and bypass the heat and bond. But I have friends that still use both, it gives you a lot more prescion and a lot stiffer applique to work with. With the Cricut your able to cut alot of images some with fine detail.

MaineGirl76 what settings do I use to cut fabric with heat-n-bond on the back so it goes through all but does not eat into my cutting mat. I have a friend who has a Cricut and her mat is trashed cause she has her blade set so deep it has eaten the mat. There is no info in the book that I can find. Thanks.

Which Cricut does she have? The small one or the expression?

She has the Expression I have the smaller one

On both make sure you have a new mat and new blade to start.

on the small one, I use, a slow speed, blade depth at 4 and pressure at high.

On the expression, I use slow speed, blade depth 4 and pressure at medium.

And I always take the paper off the heat-n-bond

Thanks! And one more quick question... is that heat and Bond Light or the heavier stuff?

I use the heavier one. :) but a few of my friends use the lightweight one without any problems.

I watched a youtube video where she said to put the fabric down and tape the edges. Have you tried that or do you put the fabric up or down?

I put the fabric side up, I have never had any problems. The key is to have a sticky mat. I have never used tape on the edges. :)

Where do you get the best buy for the CriCut?

I got mine on sale at Joann's at Christmas for $99.00

If you want the small one it goes on sale for 99.00 all the time. Walmart has the big one for 289.00 but there several online places to buy it alot cheaper than that. :)

My Jo-Ann had the small one for $84 this week and the expression for $249. Now that's a low price :)

"Ok another question. In some of the Eleanor Burns videos she uses some kind of cutter for straight cuts. What is it?"

I also would love to know the answer to this question.

I have the original (small) Cricut...hoping maybe Santa will bring me a larger one for Christmas! :wink: I bought it for quilting, I cut freezer paper and paper-backed fusible for applique with it. I have a nice collection of cartridges, but they are expensive. I also have Cricut Design Studio software that allows me to slightly alter the designs. You are not limited to the Cricut cartridges, there are programs (Make the Cut and Sure Cuts a Lot) that allow you to cut basically anything you want!

I have recently bought the cricut expression also. As much as I love my studio the dies for all the applica's and stuff would cost a fortune. I can even cut lettering with the cricut. They would cost a arm and two legs to buy for a studio. The best of two worlds lol.

Getting interesting.....

So what Cricut is the recommended one if you're going to cut fabric?


:)

They demonstrated the expression as the one to use on fabric. I do not know about the others. But the expression does work. Now to get the cake one Fingures don't like piping anymore either. lol