By Michelle Marvig
The one consistent thing required for any type of patchwork or appliqué is the need to cut out the required shapes before starting to stitch. Initially scissors may have been used, the craft then progressed with the rotary cutter and now we have ‘dies’ that are used with machines. The newest addition to the range of die cutting machines is the Gemini by Crafter’s Companion.
The Gemini is a compact machine, measuring approximately 36cm wide, 14cm high and 20cm deep (14in x 5½in x 8¼in). It is surprisingly heavy for its size, weighing in at almost 7kg (about 15lb). However, this is because the machine is electric and has rollers that pull the materials through the machine under pressure to make the impressions or cuts. Once in place, you do not need to move the machine as long as you can access the front and back of the machine when feeding the items into it. Weight is not an issue and adds to the stability of the machine when in use. The cutting area of the machine is the size of the Cutting Plates — 23cm x 31.5cm (9in x 12½in).
To use the machine, a layered ‘sandwich’ is made and then fed into the opening on the front of the machine. Two Clear Cutting Plates are used for the outer layers, or bread. Between these are placed the Plastic Shim (for thickness, adding pressure), Deep Multi Media Die for fabric cutting and the fabric. This whole sandwich is guided into the wide opening on the front of the machine.
Once inserted, the motor will start and the rollers will pull through the sandwich, stopping automatically once it has exited the back of the machine. With the unique pause, resume and reverse feature, you can reverse out smaller dies once they are cut (for a quicker pass), as well as being able to have peace of mind if you’re concerned you have put an incorrect sandwhich combination through – you can simply pause it and reverse it out to check. Once you have adjusted the thickness, you can feed it through again.
Age and medical conditions can hinder people’s ability to cut into fabric. With not even a handle to turn, this machine cuts fabrics with a push of a button. And there are a wide variety of die shapes to cut! All shapes are sold in sets of multiple sizes. The dies for this machine are fine metal with a cutting ridge. For fabric, the Deep Multi Media dies, which are 1.5mm (1/16in) deep, must be used. The paper dies are not as deep.
The machine comes with all the cutting plates and shims as required and with five dies, one Deep Multi Media Die set of hexagons, three thin metal dies and one 3D embossing folder for card making and papercraft. The company has two brilliant sets of dies for quilters, all housed in very handy boxes with a drawer system. Build a Block has your most basic shapes used in patchwork — squares, half-square triangles and quarter-square triangles. All of these shapes come in 1½in, 2in, 2½in, 3½in, 4½in and 6½in cut sizes. From these basic shapes, hundreds of blocks can be made. Each shape comes in its own drawer, with a sheet displaying the size and placement of the die in the drawer.
As the dies are relatively fine, no sizes can be written on them. But it is easy to locate the dies in the drawers and to know what size you are using. To extend the possibilities, the Build A Block PLUS+ presents the dies in the same manner, but has six rectangles, four isosceles triangles and four half rectangle triangles (14 dies), all in sizes to coordinate with the original Build a Block set of 18 dies. Each box set comes with instructions for the cut shapes required for 20 blocks in multiple sizes, and in four languages! However, many more designs are possible and you could use block books as a guide for inspiration. Many other shapes are also available. Have you ever tried to cut an accurate circle or oval? This machine had no trouble with either shape. I tried plain fabric, fabric with fusible web and even wool felt with fusible web. All fed easily into the machine and were cut through cleanly.
When using the machine you can fold, or layer, your fabrics and cut up to eight layers at one time. This will vary with the thickness of fabric being used. As you only have a single die of each size or shape, a maximum of eight pieces of 100% cotton fabric can be cut at once However, it is very easy to send the sandwich through, grab it on the other side, lift and move the die to the next section of fabric, and send through again.
It took me no time at all to cut the half-square triangles for the star blocks shown on page 63. And, unlike the traditional technique of cutting a square, then cutting it in half on the diagonal, all triangles were cut the same size. You can plan ahead and roughly cut your fabric into the size of an A4 sheet to maximise the layering on the Cutting Plate. I placed my chosen fabrics right side together so that they were already paired, ready to sew. I did find it easier to reverse the sandwich stack from the diagram that is shown in the instruction book, so I could see the placement of the die on the fabric. The order used, from bottom to top, was Clear Cutting Plate, eight layers of fabric, Deep Multi Media Die (blade side down on the fabric, Plastic Shim and finally the second Clear Cutting Plate.
A large variety of dies are available, including larger squares and hexagons, as well as a set of six dies for cutting strips to 1in, 2in, 2½in, 3in, 4in and 5in. The strip dies are a little different: the cutting edge only runs along the long sides of the dies. This allows you to fold your fabric to fit between the flat ends, to cut a strip, rather than a rectangle. For all cuts, lining up the straight edge of the dies with the straight of grain of the fabric will give you a better cut.
You can find out more about the Gemini by Crafter’s Companion (UK) if you do a search on YouTube.
Gemini by Crafter’s Companion
is distributed in Australia by
Kapok Distribution, South Australia.
To find a stockist near you, visit their website: www.kapokdistribution.com
phone: (08) 7477 8595, or email:
enquiries@kapokdistribution.com
Trade enquiries welcome!
