Fussy Cut Big Prints for Mini Quilts

When people think of making a mini quilt they often think of using fabrics that have small prints. This makes sense given that mini quilts start with very small pieces to make small blocks, which then get assembled into quilts less than 24” in length and width. However, Laura Roberts will show you that isn’t always true. You will learn how to use a technique known as fussy cutting to incorporate big prints into a mini quilt.

Fussy Cut

Fussy cutting is the technique of cutting around a specific design or motif in a fabric. This can be done with a pair of scissors to cut directly around a design perimeter, like a flower, to then use on a quilt. It can also be used to cut squares and triangles from a fabric for mini quilt blocks. Laura shows you how to use a clear ruler to measure the desired design and determine the size of square that should be cut around it, taking into consideration seam allowances. She explains several techniques and describes how they are different depending on the look you want for your mini quilt.

Think Color, Not Design

Laura shows you how to look beyond a specific design in a fabric to the colors instead. By fussy cutting around specific colors in a fabric you can create several blocks that all look like they were made from separate fabrics. She explains how this is a great way to use up fabrics with big prints that you may not like.

Extra Fabric

Once you learn how to fussy cut you may want to use the technique in future projects. Keep in mind that if you intend to fussy cut around only specific motifs or colors in a fabric you many need to buy extra fabric to complete your project.