#babyschep's nursery progress: Wall Art!

So, it's been forever again--pregnancy #2 is kicking my butt.  I came down with pneumonia the other day, which is not fun when you're this pregnant!  Don't worry, I'm doing much better now, just dealing with the regular aches, pains, and fatigue that come standard with being super pregnant and working until your due date.

Well, y'all know I've been blabbing about my new Cricut machine lately.  I don't mean to brag, and I'm certainly not getting paid to write about it--I'm simply excited to learn how to use it.  One of the main draws of the machine for me was its perceived ability to cut out detailed applique designs for my sewing. 

Now most non-sewers would use cardstock or fancy papers (which is a much cheaper alternative, btw!), but I happen to have over 100 bolts of fabric hanging around from my soon-to-be-closed online fabric shop. 

As I revealed earlier, I've selected a space theme for BabySchep's nursery, and we painted the nursery deep, dark blue.  I thought that this Michael Miller Glitz print would really pop against the dark blue background. 

I fused Heat n Bond Ultrahold to the back of a dark blue solid:

This is a no-sew fusible adhesive.  Given that this will hang on the wall, I figured no sewing would be necessary.  After fusing the adhesive, I peeled away the paper backing and stuck the bonded fabric to one of the purple strong grip Cricut mats.  I used the bonded fabric cut setting on the Cricut, and cut out the Bible verse I had chosen for this particular piece.

I find it mesmerizing to watch the machine in action!

And here's what it looked like after weeding away the unused parts.  It's obviously not in order, as the Cricut software organizes the cut to minimize waste. 

This was my first go-round trying fusible applique cut out by the Cricut.  What I learned: 

• The grip on the purple mat is a tad too strong.  I struggled a little bit to remove the finer pieces without ripping or distortion.  I've since had success using the standard grip green mat, even with the paper still attached. 
• I cut too deep.  I used the standard "bonded fabric" setting on the machine, and it ended up cutting into the mat as well.  It later cracked along one of these cuts when attempting to remove a different project.  Not a huge loss--you can use the mat from either end, so it's still in usable condition.  I've since learned that you can use the "cardstock" setting, even with the paper still attached. 
• Designing takes time.  My laptop is fairly old as far as computers go, and it took quite a while to manipulate the design to a manageable state.  I think I'll download this font onto my newer desktop to see if it handles the editing quicker.  UPDATE: Since I first typed this post, Cricut has since updated their Design Space software, and my computer handles it much better now! 

In the end, I think the product turned out great:

Applied heat to both sides.

Pretty cool, huh?  I bought some inexpensive FISKBO frames from IKEA, and now I've got some personalized wall art! 

 

I'm still debating whether to hang this one on the wall, or to leave it on the floating shelf.  I'll wait until the rest of the verses are done (I've now trained my husband to use the Cricut!) before I decide. 

 

We've managed to get a few more projects finished/underway for BabySchep, so I'm sure I'll be sharing those soon.  Linking up with Finish it Up Friday (do no-sew projects count?). Until then, God Bless!