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Use the OmniArc Circle Cutter Ruler to create unique designs

Use the OmniArc Circle Cutter Ruler to create unique designs

by Jean Boyd

Yesterday I showed you how to use spray dyeing and painting techniques to create some original designer fabric. Today we’ll use the Omnigrip OmniArc Circle Cutter Ruler with this fabric. I recently discovered this ruler and thought it would be perfect to use when trying out new design ideas with fabric dyed with Rit dyes. This 8″ x 8″ non-slip ruler has handy grooves for cutting circles and can be used with a 28mm rotary cutter. The Komfort KUT 28mm Rotary Cutter is perfect to use with this ruler.

OmniArc Circle Cutter ruler and Komfort KUT 28mm rotary cutter on a piece of multi–colored, ice–dyed fabric

OmniArc Circle Cutter ruler and Komfort KUT 28mm rotary cutter

Using this ruler, you can make finished size circles from 4″ to 12″ in size, as well as half circles, quarter circles and arcs. There are easy-to-read angle markings and it’s transparent, with neon green double-sight lines that seem to glow on both light and dark fabrics.

Here’s a video that explains how to use the OmniArc Circle Cutter Ruler.

For my project, I chose one of my ice-dyed fat quarters and ironed HeatnBond Featherlite Iron-on Adhesive on the wrong side.

HeatnBond Featherlite Iron-on Adhesive and 3 bottles of Rit dye on a piece of ice-dyed fabric

HeatnBond Featherlite Iron-on Adhesive ready to iron on ice-dyed fabric

I wanted half-circle arcs, so I folded the fabric in half and then used the OmniArc Circle Cutter Ruler to cut the shapes.

Folded ice-dyed fabric arcs on the left and finished fabric arcs cut with the OmniArc Circle Cutter ruler on the right

Folded fabric on the left and finished arcs on the right

I tried several different arrangements of the half-circles using another piece of my Rit ice-dyed fabric for the background and this is the one I chose.

I quilted the background first, using straight lines ¼” to ⅜” apart.

Once I decided on my final placement of the half-circles, I removed the backing from the HeatnBond Featherlite Iron-on Adhesive and pressed the shapes in place.

Fabric arcs are pressed on the front of the quilted ice-dyed fabric.

Fabric arcs are ready to sew

I stitched around the edges of the shapes with a blue Sulky Blendables 30wt thread from the Life in the Tropics thread collection. This variegated thread gives extra interest to the stitching lines.

A walking foot is used to stitch the arcs to the background fabric using blue Sulky Blendables 30wt thread.

Stitching the arcs

And here’s my finished project!

The finished project using arcs cut from blue/green/yellow ice–dyed fabric and stitched to a mottled ice-dyed fabric

The finished project

The design possibilities are endless with these circle, half-circle, and quarter-circle shapes, and they’re so easy to cut using the Omnigrip OmniArc Circle Cutter. Using them on my hand-dyed fabric – all created using Rit dyes – makes the process even more exciting!

I hope you’ll enjoy using the Rit All-Purpose Dyes to create unique and original fabrics. Be sure to check out my September 2022 QUILTsocial blogs to find out all about using the Rit Shibori Tie Dye Kit too!

This is part 5 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 4: Spray dyeing fabric with Rit dyes for a designer look

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