Countdown To Christmas Quilt-Along Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Countdown To Christmas Quilt-Along: Fabric Cutting. You can find full details of the quilt-along, prizes and sponsors here.

Did you do your do your homework and choose your fabrics?  It’s time to get cutting!

Please refer to the Advent Calendar PDF for cutting requirements.  You’ll find cutting instructions for the pockets on page 2 and for the sashing on page 5. Basically, you have 24 pockets on your calendar.  You need to cut four 4.5″ squares for each pocket:

• One will be the front of the pocket.
• One will be the lining (so you won’t really see it).
• One will be the back (you’ll see about 1/2″ sticking out the top of the pocket).
• One will be the appliquéd number.

I have decided to use felt for my numbers, so I only need three 4.5″ squares for each pocket.  I chose 4 solids to compliment my fussy cut pocket fronts.

The other fabric you need to cut this week is the sashing.  That is the white background around the pockets.  You can choose any complimentary color or print you want, but use all the same fabric for this.  You need 48 pieces that are 2″x 4.5″ and 48 that are 2″ x 7.5″ (the PDF will explain how to cut them).

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If you are new to quilting, then you will need to get acquainted with a cutting mat, rotary cutter and quilter’s ruler. Don’t try to use scissors for this step!   I really enjoy using the ruler and rotary cutter.  It’s much more relaxing and fun than pinning and marking paper patterns to cut with scissors.  You can find all the supplies at a quilting store or Jo-Ann’s (use those mailer coupons!).

Here are my well-used (and loved) quilting supplies.  I have a Dritz 24″x36″ cutting mat (I wouldn’t recommend anything smaller), a Fiskars 60mm rotary cutter (again, I wouldn’t recommend any of the smaller rotary cutters), and 3 Omni-grid rulers (one is 6″x 24″, one is 4″ x 14″ and one is 4.5″ x 4.5″).   There are many brands to choose from, so just look around and pick what you like.

I have no idea why or when I bought the 4.5″ square ruler, but it was perfect for fussy cutting my squares!

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Now it’s time to link up!  Show us your progress (you can post from your blog, or Flickr) and don’t forget to post photos in the Flickr group.  Be sure to check out Melissa’s blog for her cutting suggestions, too.