Scan and cut fabric from a paper pattern using Brother ScanNCut

All week, the amazing Brother ScanNCut SDX225 has been most useful in creating quilt blocks, applique quilt blocks, and cutting paper piecing templates in a flash! But there’s more this indispensable tool can do!

Like many quilters, you probably have lots of paper patterns with multiple pieces to be cut out.  The Brother ScanNCut SDX225 is a quilter’s best friend for scanning and cutting fabric from a paper pattern. Instead of tracing over the pattern and cutting the applique pieces by hand let your ScanNCut do it for you!  Remember the ScanNCut has a built-in scanner. Here’s how it’s done.

supplies and materials

• ScanNCut SDX225
• ScanNCut Scanning Mat https://www.brother.ca/en/p/CADXMATS12
• Standard tack mat
• paper pattern
• Brother Iron-on fabric applique support sheet
• Auto blade holder and blade
• spatula
• fabric scraps for cutting applique pieces
• background fabric 9” x 6” piece

1. Prepare fabric like you did earlier this week with iron-on fabric support material and set it aside.
2. Position the paper pattern on the scanning mat. The scanning mat is a little different than the cutting mat because it has a non-stick surface and an attached clear protector sheet. You’ll also notice it has no grid lines. This gives the scanner a clean surface when it’s scanning the paper. Lift the protector sheet and lay the pattern on the mat. The pattern stays in place.

The scanning mat is available in a 12” x 12” or 12” x 24” size. The large size is very handy for scanning large paper patterns.  https://www.brother.ca/en/p/CADXMATS24

3. Load the mat.

4. From the main menu Select Scan, then Scan to Cut Data, then Start. You’ll see a reminder screen to set the Scanner Lever (located on the left side of the ScanNCut) to the #2 position. Touch Start.

5. The ScanNCut will now scan the mat and display the design on the screen.

6. Touch the circle/square icon (first icon) and using the cropping arrow, crop to size.

7. Touch the squiggly line at the bottom of the screen. This will allow to smooth out the lines of the scanned image. Smooth the line and touch Preview, then OK, and OK.

8. Select where you’d like to save the image. We’ll save it in the machine.

9. The next screen shows where the image is saved.

10. Now press the Home button and delete all patterns on the screen.

11. To retrieve your scanned and saved design, touch Retrieve Data, Machine and then scroll to your design. Select the design and then OK.

12. I’m now able to edit the design if you wish. The only edit I want to make is to change the number of leaves to be cut. So, I touch Edit, highlight the leaf, touch Object Edit and change the number of cuts to 5.

13. Now it’s ready to position the fabric on the cutting mat and cut all the design pieces.

If you need a reminder on how to do that – refer to Day 2 of this week’s series of posts, How to make applique blocks using the Brother ScanNCut SDX225.

Spoiler Alert – Check back in my September 2020 posts when I’ll show you how I used the fantastic new features of the Brother Luminaire XP2 to assemble, quilt this block to see what I’ve done with it!

Join me tomorrow when I’ll show you why the ScanNCut SDX225 is my best friend when fussy cutting fabric. Now there’s some real help on the way.

This is part 4 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 3: Brother ScanNCut makes many paper piecing templates in 1 shot!

Go to part 5: The Brother ScanNCut SDX225 is a quilter’s best friend: fussy cutting fabric