Crafting with Digital Cutting Machines E-Book

Libby Ashcraft

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 92

Beschreibung

Discover a new approach to crafting! Perfect for sewing, quilting, scrapbooking, and a variety of other arts and crafts, digital cutting machines are changing the way people enjoy their favorite hobbies. Whether you're in the market to buy one or are looking for guidance and inspiration, this complete how-to manual is here to help. With overviews on the top three brands – Cricut, Silhouette, and Brother – clear instructions for foolproof preparation and cutting different materials, technique tutorials, handy hacks, unique fabric-based step-by-step projects, and so much more, Crafting with Digital Cutting Machines will help you make the most of your machine! Author Libby Ashcraft has been teaching sewing, embroidery, and embroidery software for over 20 years. She has expanded her expertise to include electronic cutters, including the Silhouette Cameo and Brother ScanNCut. As a licensed instructor, Libby travels around the country to lead workshops and classes at various summits and events.

Leseprobe

© 2022 by Libby Ashcraft and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Crafting with Digital Cutting Machines is an original work, first published in 2022 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Design/project contributors: Tabitha Carty and Amelia Johanson

Print ISBN 9781497101548eISBN: 9781607658634

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021944627

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497101548 Crafting with Digital Cutting Machines in the subject line.

Contents

Introduction

Digital Cutting Inspiration

Glossary

Digital Cutting Machines

An Overview

Silhouette Cameo

Brother ScanNCut

Cricut

Common Materials for Digital Cutting

Adhesive Vinyl

Heat Transfer Vinyl

Fabric

Felt

Leatherette and Ultrasuede

Techniques to Know

Weeding

Using Transfer Tape

Adding a Laminate Overlay

Using Etching Cream on Glass and Slate

Using Rhinestones and Rhinestone Flock

Press Pillows

Step-by-Step Projects

Children’s Fox Apron

Raw-Edge Appliqué Owl Quilt

Felt-Lettered Pillows

Holiday Ornaments

Faux-Suede Hexagonal Pillow

Drawstring Gift Bags

Photo Credits

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

Welcome to the world of digital cutting machines. You are going to have so much fun learning about digital cutting machines and crafting that a digital cutter is sure to become an essential part of your sewing and crafting room—if it isn’t already! Whether you know exactly what you want to make or are looking for ideas and inspiration to get the most out of your digital cutting machine, immersed in the pages of this book is exactly where you want to be.

With a few exceptions, all the projects that follow can be created using any digital cutter, and learning how to use your machine and what it can do is just as important as what you can make with it. There is a myriad of information available on paper crafting with digital cutters, but I’m always surprised by how little you can find on cutting fabrics and other materials. Few digital-cutting crafters know and use their machines’ full capacity. In this book, I will introduce you to three popular machine models. Along with descriptions of the machines’ components and features, I’ve included a synopsis of the blades, tools, mats, and other accessories used with each one.

I’ve found that, once you know the basics, the best way to broaden your knowledge is to be a “hands-on” learner and just create. It is my hope that, in doing so, you expand your personal library of techniques and skills to get the most from your digital cutting machine.

All the designs in this book are available as scalable vector graphic (SVG) files for you to download and use however you choose. If you love a particular project but envision it with a different design, there are endless designs online that you can purchase and download. Likewise, if a particular material (often referred to as a “medium”) isn’t to your liking, give it a try anyway—you may be surprised to find something you really love! You’ll see that digital cutting machines truly do offer endless creative possibilities.

Let’s get started!

Pay attention to my tips and tricks throughout the book. Trust me—I learned the hard way!

Digital Cutting Inspiration

You can download the SVG design files for the projects shown on pages 8–13 at https://foxchapelpublishing.com/news/digital-cutting. SVG files are scalable, allowing you to enlarge or reduce the design as desired in your cutting machine’s software. Step-by-step instructions are included in this book for the pillows (pages 74 and 86), fox apron (pages 60), gift bags (pages 90), quilt (pages 66), and ornaments (pages 82). For advice on specific techniques, such as using transfer tape, using rhinestone flock, weeding, or etching, refer to Techniques to Know, starting on page 44.

Felt-Lettered Pillows: Lend a little pizzazz to a bedroom, dorm room, or family room by adding words to decorative pillows. Use the downloadable block letters (Alphabet_Pillow.svg) to create whatever words suit your fancy. Smaller letters, approximately 3 ⅝" (9.2cm) tall, are ideal for the 12" x 20" (30.5 x 50.8cm) pillow form shown. Cut the letters from felt, then cut the same letters from adhesive bond and apply to the back of each letter. Use a strong-tack mat to cut the felt and a light-tack mat with mirror-image function for cutting the adhesive bond. Turn to page 74 for full instructions for making these felt-lettered pillows.

“Create” Sign: Decorate your creative space with this inspirational message. Start with a ½" (1.3cm) plank, approximately 48" tall x 6" wide (1.2m x 15.2cm). Sand it, then stain it the color of your choice. Cut 4 ½" (11.4cm) letters from the file Alphabet_Create.svg in a mix of adhesive vinyl colors using the light-tack mat, then weed and position the letters on your prepared board with the aid of transfer tape. Pull the transfer tape at an angle, not with the grain of the wood, to prevent the stain and grain from being pulled up by the transfer tape. Letters start 6" (15.2cm) from the top of the board, with 1" (2.5cm) between each letter. Tip: Use painter’s tape to space the letters evenly.

Hexagonal Cork Wall Hangings: Add silhouettes to purchased cork hexagons (or cut your own hexagons on your machine) to spice up your sewing room. Using the Wall Hanging downloadable designs, cut the silhouettes on a standard mat from 12" (30.5cm) square permanent vinyl sheets and a small piece of glitter vinyl. When cutting pieces to layer, make sure to use alignment boxes at the top of each cut for precise placement. Weed, then use transfer tape to pull up and place each layer. Tip: Command™ strips work very well for hanging these pieces.

Faux-Suede Hexagon Pillow: Sensuede® is a win-win fabric for digital cutting. It not only cuts like a breeze, but this quality, fabric-weight faux suede won’t fray, so you are left with a clean raw edge without the need for any stabilizers, seam sealants, or webbing. Use the standard-tack mat and cut approximately 25 hexagons. Turn to page 86 for step-by-step pillow instructions.

Raw-Edge Appliqué Owl Quilt: Raw-edge appliqué and digital cutting go hand in hand, as you can see in this adorable owl design. Be sure to cut on a strong-tack or standard-grip mat and test-cut to check your settings. Back your layer-cake squares with Heat n Bond® double-sided fusible web if you don’t want your raw edges to fray slightly. If you like the frayed look, prepare your squares with Terial Magic first for clean cuts, then apply slightly smaller pieces of fusible web individually. Turn to page 66 for step-by-step instructions on making this quilt.

Quilt Lover’s Phone Case: A fun little way to share your love of quilting with the world, or a perfect gift for a quilting friend, this quilt-block phone case is a beginner-level project that you can make on your lunch break. The key to making this quick-and-easy project long-lasting is the laminate layer, which is detailed on page 46.

“Dream” Canvas Art: The sky’s the limit when you start with a purchased hanging blank. Shown here is a 16" x 21" (40.6 x 53.3cm) canvas embellished with a 9" (22.9cm)–wide foil heat transfer vinyl (HTV) word (“Dream”) encircled by a wreath of dark green, light green, and patterned HTV flowers and leaves. Duplicate approximately six to eight of each flower and stem design in multiple sizes from 1" to 3" (2.5 to 7.6cm). Apply the word in the center and lightly trace around a 12" (30.5cm)–diameter dinner plate to create a wreath guideline before auditioning each piece. Tip: Remember that patterned HTV is cut without mirroring, while regular HTV should be mirrored.

Etched Glass Button Jar: Every crafter has a stash of buttons. Buttons of all shapes, sizes, and colors look quite pretty all tossed together, so why not take advantage of your digital-cutting prowess and etch a cool glass container to keep your buttons on display? For etching basics, turn to page 48, and remember that, in this project, you’ll be weeding away what you would normally keep because those areas will be etched with etching cream.

Children’s Fox Apron: Little people will love protecting their clothes from kitchen or art-room messes with this precious fox apron. Apply Heat n Bond® double-sided fusible web to your fabrics before cutting, and position fabrics on a strong-tack or standard-tack mat for cutting. The sizes of your cut pieces depend on the size of the apron. Turn to page 60 for instructions on adding fox details to a pre-purchased apron.

Holiday Ornaments: Create your own vintage-look ornaments with your electronic cutter and felt. This project is an easy twist on a classic craft. These ornaments finish around 6" to 7" (15.2 to 17.8cm), and the mitten ornament (see photo on page 41) is adorned with a snowflake detail cut from white HTV. Cut two of each piece for each ornament to create a front and a back. Turn to page 82 for step-by-step instructions to make tree (shown), mitten, and gift-box felt ornaments.

Rhinestone Tote: Plain tote bags are easy to come by, and you can make yours dazzling with an electronic cutter and rhinestone flock. Cutting rhinestone flock creates perfectly sized design “holes” that capture your rhinestones in a pattern, which you then transfer with rhinestone transfer tape to your project. Turn to page 50 for more detailed instructions on using rhinestones and rhinestone flock.

Drawstring Gift Bags: Add some flair to fabric drawstring gift bags to celebrate any event. Cut the pieces from a selection of patterned, solid, and glitter HTV, sizing so they finish 2" to 3" (5.1 to 7.6cm) from the edges of your bag. Turn on the mirror function for your words according to your machine. Use heat-resistant transfer tape because you will press your words and shapes to the fabric surface. Turn to page 90 for step-by-step instructions on making your own drawstring bags.

Leather Earrings: Feel like you need a new pair of earrings . . . or three? Combine shapes cut from leather or faux leather with jewelry findings to create unique, lightweight earrings in a snap. Cutting this material requires a strong-tack mat, and it can be cut with either a standard blade or a kraft blade, depending on your cutter. Embellish with a cut of HTV if desired, and cut the top leather pieces about ½" to 1" (1.3 to 2.5cm) smaller than the main earring cuts.