My First Column

Talk about nervous! That's how I felt when asked to join in on the new 'crafty' column for the newspaper I work for (http://www.annistonstar.com/). Just type in my name in the search box and it'll take you right to it. I love crafting so I thought I'd give it a try. My love of crafting tools was the source for my first column and I hope you enjoy it. I've included a picture of the lap quilt and the "gizmo" at the end of the article.

Haute Homemade: The gizmo queen's favorite gadget
by Debbie Reaves Community Editor
12 hrs ago 23 views 0 0
Once upon a time, my friends called me the "Gizmo Queen." That's because I have an undying love for gizmos. Not the kitchen kind (even though I have a few), but the crafty kind.Some of my gizmos collect a little dust, but others are always within reach of my crafting zone. The new AccuQuilt Go! Fabric Cutter is one of the ones I keep handy.I first came across an ad for the fabric cutter while thumbing through the fall issue of Quilts and More magazine. There it was! A gizmo I had never seen before!The ad stated it was a revolutionary way to cut fabric fast, accurately and easily. No mistakes.I needed more information, so I ran to my computer and went to the Web site. Oh no … it was the last day of a special sale they were running on the fabric cutter. I had to grab my purse and close the deal. (I mean, they were giving away things for free with the purchase of the fabric cutter … I just had to go for it, right?)It was a good thing I'd been saving money for awhile, as it cost $349.I had a tiny bit of buyer's remorse, but I got over it. I do love gizmos, you know.A week later I had my newest toy. It turned out to be the nicest thing for cutting out fabric shapes to use in quilting.I don't claim to be a quilter; I made my first one last year. I am fascinated by the art of quilting. But I found it very hard, and cutting out the fabric was time consuming.This new gizmo makes the cutting easy. Pick a die with the shapes you want, place the fabric on the die — up to six layers at once — place the plastic mat on top and roll it through the cutter. In a matter of seconds you have your pieces cut and ready to use.It was wonderful! I starched and ironed my fabric scraps ahead of time, and then starting rolling them through the fabric cutter. In less than an hour, I had 90 4 ½-inch squares and 90 2 ½-inch squares.It was easier for me to cut four layers of fabric at a time. The crank got a little tough to turn with six. But it's worth it.I made a lap quilt with 90 squares in about two hours after cutting the fabric pieces. It was fun, and I can't wait to get more dies.A die with three different shapes came with the fabric cutter. My special also included eight free quilt patterns for different projects. Other dies are available at http://www.accuquilt.com/.You can shop around on the Internet and find bargains on the cutter with free shipping. That will come in handy as it weighs about 20 pounds. It's a sturdy piece of equipment that even came with a dust cover.Now that's my kind of gizmo.

Welcome to "Haute Handmade," a new column for crafters. Our two main columnists: Deirdre Long, the Star's Escapes editor, has been sewing for about 15 years, since she was 10 years old. She also knits, crochets and upcycles old items by redesigning them into new creations. Debbie Reaves, the Star's Community editor, has been sewing for 40 years. She was also a sign-painter for 18 years, and crafts with all things paper, from rubber stamps to scrapbooking.










This last photo is the die as it goes through the AccuQuilt GO!
I hope you like my first column and I hope you'll leave a comment here or on the newspaper Web site directly under the column.

As always... I appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog.

Have a great day!

Debbie