Faster fussy cutting – a trick

Every year I make ornament stars and this year I have learned a new trick and I am glad to share it with you!

Also, this year I have created a new star ornament pattern, for a 6-point star.

Fabric star ornament pattern

The older pattern (for an 8-point star) is wonderful…

Fabric star ornament pattern


but the 6-point star has a few advantages: you finish it quicker, it requires less fabric but most importantly: if you want to make a kaleidoscope star, you need a certain amount of fabric and obviously, for a 6- point star you need less fabric than for a 8-point star.

But what’s a kaleidoscope star? It’s made out of pieces of fabric that have the same print.

The best thing about these stars? You need squares to create them and this allowed me to come up with a trick…

Here is the border fabric I used. It has four border designs that run along the length of the fabric. I had half yard.

Fussy cutting trickI found on the fabric 8 design repeats and in order to use this  fabric in the most economical way, I fussy cut the biggest squares I could.

Fussy cutting trickThen I cut the big squares into four squares.

Fussy cutting trick

And now, with the effort needed for cutting one set of squares I have squares for 4 stars!

Fussy cutting trickI finished only three of them (my little nephew had an accident with the fourth!)…The time needed for fussy cutting was cut in 4!

Fussy cutting trickDo you know you can piece squares with the same design into a kaleidoscope square? It is the easiest kaleidoscope!

Fussy cutting trick

From my border fabric I was able to cut 4 more squares with the same design.

Fussy cutting trickI could not use them for a star but here is another way to use them: cut them on both diagonals…

Fussy cutting trick


and you could make blocks like these ones: another type of kaleidoscope square.

Fussy cutting trickI still have these pieces that can be used for cutting smaller squares…

Fussy cutting trick

And here are my 6-point kaleidoscope stars; for all these stars I used half yard of fabric…

Fabric star ornament pattern

First I fussy cut the biggest 6 squares I could (8”) then I cut them into 4” squares.

Fussy cutting trickHere are two sets.

Fussy cutting trickThen from the remaining fabric I cut 2” square sets.  Variety of size, variety of design…

Fabric star ornament pattern

Fabric star ornament pattern

Do you have some cool, winter buttons? Add them in the center!

Fabric star ornament pattern

When I see a beautiful print I always think at kaleidoscope things to sew, and at this time of the year, of course it’s stars!
Remember, for most prints you can find 6 design repeats on only half yard!  Depending on the size of the design, you could find even 8 repeats on half yard, for 8-point stars.

Fabric star ornament pattern

If you want to make your own stars, click here for the patterns.

Happy sewing!

 

 

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5 Comments

  1. You always have such clean, exact finished projects. I love your stars! And it was so nice of you to share your tricks for cutting fabric.

  2. These are cute, but the instructions seem to go from ‘cut the squares’ to ‘here’s the finished stars’. How are they folded? How are they sewn? How do I fit them together?

  3. Há algum tempo não te visito, mas hoje vim ver mais de perto suas belíssimas estrelas que eu simplemente AMEI!!!!!
    Elas são maravilhosas e te agradeço por compartilhar essas peças encantadoras!
    Tentarei fazer algumas com os tecidos que tenho de estampas natalinas.
    Um grande abraço para você!
    Maria Josefa
    ****************

  4. I paid the $10 on November 23 and downloaded it onto my computer. I did not recieve the pattern or instructions for the star, especially the kalidiscope star which was my best interest. Please send that one to me as soon as possible. Thank you.

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