fussy cutting {how to}

Hello, happy Saturday to you all.

It's been all about Economy blocks and fussy cutting around here (and on Instagram #econmyblockalong, and Flickr) lately. 

I made a great progress on my blocks - 86 made, only 110 more to go :). Yes, I do have grand plans and want to make this quilt big, and colorful, and full of fun fussy cut centers. It will be a perfect I Spy quilt.

I'm usually not a huge fan of fussy cuts as it always feels like such a wasteful way of cutting fabric, but fussy cut centers is what makes these blocks. So, I put all my prejudices and frugality aside and got cutting. 

Here's how I fussy cut my fabric (I'm sure there are many different ways of doing it, but this way works best for me so I wanted to share).

I place my pressed fabric on the cutting mat (keeps fabric from slipping and sliding all over the place). I use vinyl sheets  to make a template. I prefer to use grid sheets as it makes centering the template easier.

I then center my template over the picture I want to cut out, trace around the template using disappearing fabric marker and cut on the line with scissors.

Easy and precise. Just the way I love it.

So, are you thinking of giving these wonderful blocks a try (tutorial here)?  I hope you do, they really are so much fun. And a great way to use up scraps as well as some of those cutsie fabrics you had to have but now have no idea what to do with :)

Hope you all have a very lovely and productive weekend. Svetlana