Sizzix Kona and Touchdraw

The makers of Sizzix have very kindly sent me a Big Shot, which is a fabric cutter, and some dies to try out.  I will review it properly in time but here are some initial impressions and some initial trying out.  Once I saw which dies they had sent me to try, I decided to start with the drunkards path since I've never tried that block as I couldn't really face the time cutting lots of neat little quarter circles.  Thinking I wanted to do something different, I played around for a while with my iPad app Touchdraw and came up with an idea.  


Once I'd actually taken the time to work out exactly what I was supposed to be doing with the Sizzix Big Shot, it all worked beautifully.  The dies slide through the machine with ease and cut with what seems to me to be perfect precision without dragging the fabric out of shape and misaligning it.  On the apple core cutter, there is even a window to look through for fussy cutting.  Genius.  


So after a few trial drunkards paths and apple cores, I got cutting into some Konas and have started some piecing.  Four blocks made, five to make plus the sashing and border but this is going together pretty quickly so far.  Apologies for the bad iPad photo taken last night when it was too dark to take the blocks outside for a decent photo.  


I'm not pinning and have found that, if I put the quarter circle on top when I piece the drunkards path block, and ease it gently as I go, the pieces line up almost perfectly every time.  Where they don't line up perfectly, that's just good old human error as the two pieces are cut accurately.  Initial impressions of the Sizzix are very good.  In spite of it being decorated in quite a girly way, it is a manly, sturdy piece of kit, easy to use and seems, on initial testing, to cut perfectly.  

Comments

  1. That is an ingenious quilt design.

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  2. That is just so cool! Now I know what you needed a purple FQ for too. I love doing DPs and they always work out better with no pinning, for me at least.

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  3. Oooh! Lucky girl! I wish I had something like that. I love sewing the DP blocks, but the cutting I have a problem with.

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  4. Sounds good! Love the quilt design!

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  5. Thanks for sharing! What a great design! Why has no one ever thought of it before?

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  6. Good toy to play with! Love your design and looking forward to seeing it in its entirety. Di xo

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  7. You've got to love something that takes the hassle out of cutting. Love your DP interpretation!

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  8. Oooh, never been a fan of DP as the arrangements always seem too messy, but this has converted me - a fab 'clean / tidy " block, and not too many DPs to cut my teeth on. I've pinned it, as I'd loveto try it one day. (hope that's ok, just let me know if you'd rather I removed it from Pinterest)

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  9. Great block!!!!!!!!! That is so cool and inventive. Totally inspired Lynne!! : )

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  10. Clever mix of DP with "straight" patches.

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  11. I like the layout. By the way, you can do a screen capture on the iPad by holding the home key and pressing the power button (top right edge of the device)

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  12. Oh I love my Big Shot, though I've not tried any of the quilting dies yet. Great use of that drunkard's path

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  13. brilliant design for your quilting. The machine looks like an old calculator. Love it.

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  14. Good review, ta! Always wondered if that make of cutter was any good, you tend to hear so much about the other one...

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  15. Better than a Go!? Go on, you can say!

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  16. This is so fab! I forget, do you have an AccuQuilt too? I'd love to hear what you think of the Sizzix in comparison to that. I adore the quilt you're putting together too, and now I feel compelled to hijack my husband's iPad to check out TouchDraw... :)

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  17. Such a cool design - I'm told that sizzix are better than the go's because they have more dyes and the go dyes fit the sizzix too? not sure if this is true!

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  18. Wowzer block! I've been thinking of trying the DP and this is a great way to update it. Lovely work, as usual. Makes me want a little pink machine for myself...

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  19. Fabulous block, Lynne! I have almost worn out my DP die on my Go!baby, so I'm looking forward to your full review of the Sizzix,and of course the finished quilt!

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  20. That's a gorgeous quilt design! I had no idea that Sizzix had a competitor out to Accuquilt; I thought they only did paper cutting. Either way, I can't afford these machines and dies just to speed up what I can do by hand. I'd rather spend the $200 I'd drop on one on fabric!!

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  21. wow, genius pattern Lynne, it reminds me a bit of tartan somehow. I will add this new gadget to my long list of things I haven't yet tried - sigh, I am so behind you lot!

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  22. great design. It looks like a plaid. Very fun and bright.

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  23. I like the blocks you have come up with and look forward to seeing your quilt!

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  24. I take it you like TouchDraw. Hmm . . . I might have to get the app. Any hints on how to use it? Interested in doing do a tutorial on how to use it for quilt layouts? Or, do they already exist?

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  25. I wonder how it compares to the Accuquilt Go in performance and price. I think that the cost of the Accuquilt cutter and dies can only be justified for professional quilters.

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  26. I love that! Really ingenious on your part!

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  27. WOW I love that pattern - it's just begging to be made into a tutorial isn't it?!
    That's just how I sew my DP blocks, they go together so fast and no pins!!
    Can't wait to see this quilt in all it's glory :)

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  28. Great pattern!
    I think it's trying to prove that girls can be just as strong as the men! =D

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  29. Love the design - I am in two minds about a big shot, but would love their vagabond machine!

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  30. Oh that`s just too clever isn`t it? Isn`t it? The design of the quilt I mean. Wears pink and is called Big Shot. Hmm. Too camp for words really.

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  31. The blocks look great, I can't wait to see more!

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  32. I have a big shot and love it! Their outlet center has great sale dies. I have a couple of different size hexagons, flowers and petals, birds, others, and a host of dies for cutting paper. BTW they do have non girly ones. Mine is medium blue and black with no girly decals. I would love to get more quilt dies!

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