Remember a couple months ago I did a review on a wool pressing mat from Precision Quilting. After doing that, the company asked if I would like to try out a couple more of their products and do a review. I am always game to try something new:)
What they sent this time was a small 14mm rotary cutter great for cutting out applique's. You really hold this one differently which I found made it easy to cut around small applique pieces to large ones. It works for either left hand or right hand cutting! Here I chose to hold it like a pencil. Here is a link to a video on the company's website. It was fun to zip around my snowman applique.
The second product Jon sent was his Precision Fusing Mat. You can check out their video on this product on the same page. They have the mats in two sizes, 12 x 18 and 17 x 24. In the following photos I am using the smaller size. The mat is a special type of silicone.
You lay your pattern under the fusing mat and place your favorite fusible web on top of the mat and you can still see to draw your pattern on the fusible web. The mat has just enough weight and non slip quality that your pattern and fusible web don't slide around.
After tracing your pattern onto fusible web, apply it to your fabric and cut out your design with the precision cutter. If you have a pattern with lots of layers you can then lay your pattern underneath the mat and layer your applique pieces on top of the mat. Lay the special Teflon coated pressing sheet(that comes with your fusing mat) over your applique pieces.
Press them in place using the manufacturers instructions from your fusible web, you will not loose the web on the back of the appliques but they will adhere to one another. Look at my cute snowmen all stuck together and ready to fuse to my background fabric.
I used my new Janome Skyline7 to do the applique.
Thank you Jon for sending me the Fusing mat and Precision cutter to try out!!
