Fussy Cut

Definition: To fussy cut is to target and cut a specific motif that's printed on fabric, rather than randomly cutting yardage as we normally do.

I Spy quilts are made by cutting and sewing together all sorts of novelty and pictorial objects. Attic Windows and Kaleidoscope quilts are other places you'll find fussy cut fabrics, but the cuts can be used for any purpose:

• Center a specific print within individual patches or alternate blocks of a quilt

• Cut directly on printed lines when motifs do not follow the fabric grain

Some quilters like to construct a window template to help them visualize the print that will be seen when they cut a specific area of cloth. Make a simple preview window by cutting a chunk that's equal to the finished size of your patch from the center of a piece of letter or legal sized cardstock -- tape cardstock together for larger shapes. Mark around the shape you like, and then use your rotary ruler to add a 1/4" seam allowance around its edges. Cut with scissors or a rotary cutter.