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Post by billieanne on Jun 13, 2013 19:17:29 GMT
I was looking at my sister's Sizzix Big Shot, die cutting machine. You use it for cutting and embossing cardstock for cards and scrapbooking. She told me you could cut other material like..........felt. So naturally I went berserk and just ordered a bunch of prefelt. So now I'm coming to ask if anyone has tried this. I don't know what prefelt is except that it's a sheet of felt. Is it flat? Is it fluffy? Don't know but I've got some on order. Then I got to wondering if the machine cuts those little sheets of felt that they sell at the craft stores and not FELT like you (I'd say "I make" but I'm not very good yet) make. Are those sheets of felt at the craft store really FELT? My sister says I need to grow up. I get excited about ideas and stuff......don't you?!!!
So, can you cut out shapes with the Big Shot and use them for embellishing scarves or handbags or other items? She has some very cool looking cutting dies. Thanks. Billie
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Post by Shepherdess on Jun 13, 2013 21:43:10 GMT
I have never done it but was told it works by someone else. . The felt at the stores is probably acrylic, I have never seen real wool felt at the store. Prefelt is smooth but fragile in that it stretches and tears easily especially when wet.
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Post by lyn on Jun 13, 2013 22:18:02 GMT
If you made a piece of felt from 4 very fine layers of wool then fulled it completely, you would have a piece of felt that would be firm and smooth enough to be cut by a Big Shot.
If you want to cut felt shapes to embellish scarves and handbags (I am presuming from your post that you just want to cut felt shapes out to make embellishments to attach to scarves or bags?) then you would need fulled felt.
Pre-felt would fall apart in no time.
However, if you want to cut out shapes to then felt into felt scarves or felt bags, you would need to use the pre-felt.
Doing what you are doing i.e. looking at something unconnected with felting and then wondering if it would work in felting, is a great thing.
So many interesting techniques have been discovered this way!
So keep on being curious and experimenting.
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Post by koffipot on Jun 14, 2013 5:48:22 GMT
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Post by flicstarstudios on Jun 14, 2013 6:37:19 GMT
Yes, I had this idea while back. I'm not familiar with the Big Shot but I saw those individual cutters that the card makers and scrappers use - I bought a heart-shaped one for about $4 to see if it would work on pre-felt. I got it home, inserted my felt (which admittedly was a trifle too thick for the cutter), pressed down and .... nothing. The jolly thing got stuck in the 'down' position. I couldn't get my felt out. I couldn't unclamp the cutter. Even with hubby's help. I had to throw it out. Failed experiment. But I had wonderful plans of cutting out a whole lot of little hearts and stars and creating a wonderful piece of felt :-)
Do let me know if you have better luck than me. I love this idea.
Now I just stick with handcutting and using tracing paper for more intricate designs.
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Post by zed on Jun 14, 2013 9:26:27 GMT
I remember someone asking about this a few years ago, but never found out if it worked.
I have a little heart hole punch and just tried it on some World of Wool prefelt and it worked perfectly. It is top quality commercial prefelt though. I can't see why a cutter wouldn't work, if a rotary cutter will.
I suppose we'll find out when you try it!
Those little pieces of felt at the craft store usually are acrylic, but the fabric store will probably have some 70% wool felt.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jun 14, 2013 10:58:40 GMT
There must be some way of doing it I bought some prefelt cut outs. They were by Ardeen I think. They do only wholesale. I will see if I can find some and take picture later today.
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Post by billieanne on Jun 14, 2013 23:35:48 GMT
Thanks for all the replies and the information about the craft store "felt". As soon as I receive my prefelt order, I'll borrow her machine. If anyone wants to see a Big Shot in action I'm sure there's a video on YouTube.
Ann, There are die cutting machines that can cut fabric. I just never thought of my sister's card stock machine. Now that you mention it, I think I've seen leaves and flowers precut out of felt at the craft store.
Judith, Thanks for the link to the felt flower.
Flic, I've used those hand held punches to make cutouts for imprinting metal and for my metal casting class. When I cut out the wax I sandwiched the wax between two pieces of paper so the wax wouldn't stick to the punch.
Zed, I've got some punches. I'll have to try them when my order arrives. Did you sandwich the felt between paper when you used the punch?
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Post by zed on Jun 15, 2013 9:47:45 GMT
No, I didn't think of that, the prefelt I have is quite thick, but that sounds like a really good idea.
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Post by billieanne on Jun 20, 2013 0:22:35 GMT
Got my order but haven't had a chance to try this. As soon as I do I'll post how it worked.
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Post by MTRuth on Jun 20, 2013 16:52:22 GMT
Photos please  |
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