Fussy Cut Stack 'n' Whack
This quick and easy project is so versatile. All you need is a large scale print with lots of detail in a color that you love.
This fabric has a lot of detail and a small repeat, it was only about 6", so we didn't use a lot of fabric to get the squares we needed.
First - Find the Fabric Repeat.
Well turns out I didn't take any pictures of this process. My right brain was on and it didn't remind my left brain to take artsy photos.
To find the repeat we simply located the same pattern. It was easy on this fabric. The big pink flower repeats quite often. We just did the math to get 4 identical cuts from what we had.
Cut and Layer your fabric
We actually used a fat quarter to get all 4 layers.
There was a cutting mishap and this fat quarter was a little too small. (I hate to short somebody on a fat quarter) so we did some measuring and found we could get 4 identical repeat sections.
Lining up the fabric
Using the point of a straight pin start on the back layer and poke the pin through the exact location on each or the 4 sections to get the patterns lined up.
Do this in several places depending on how much pull or warp your fabric has.
With all layers pinned and all your pins sticking up out of the fabric; use a long straight pin to pin the fabrics from the top.
Press or steam the fabrics to get them all to lay flat. If you don't have silicone head pins make sure to not melt your pin heads.
Cutting identical blocks
Place your fabrics on a cutting mat where you won't have to move them while you cut.
We used a 2-1/2" square for our project, we simply cut 2-1/2" strips, then cross cut the squares.
If you have a larger piece of fabric you can fussy cut to get the centers you want.
The Squares
Here is the fun part! Now you get to see what your blocks look like. Make sure to keep each stack of four together when moving to the sewing machine. For each block: take one set of squares, pick the top three squares up and rotate them together 90 degrees and put them to the right of square you left on the table. Now pick up the top two squares turn them the same way and put them below the square you just did. Pick up the last top square. Turn it and place it to the left of the last block
Depending on the print you get a variety of different options. I like to keep the darker or any strong focal point toward the center.
Piece all your blocks
I like to press my seams open for these blocks. It makes a difference if you have bulk going one way or the other.
Find a layout you like.
We had four squares that had a large amount of pink so we put those in the corners.
Sashing and borders
Here's where you get another chance to change the look of your project.
I tried all different color combinations! But in the end I found I preferred to keep it tonal and muted. We used Tilda's Solid Petrol for the sashing and a scrap yard of a darker print that had the gold and red and beige to tie in with the blocks.
We used the same Tilda Fabric for the border as we did on the blocks.
And don't forget to pick out and set aside a binding, I'm going with the gingham.
Well! I hope you enjoyed this little walk through. I'll update this with the finished project as soon as I can.
We plan to do a class on this project in March 2021.
There will be info on the website and in the newsletter closer to time.
Thanks! And happy sewing.
Laura