How to Cut Fabric on Cricut Explore Air 2

This week's D.I.Weilert is actually a little crafting hack that Josh and I have been experimenting with over the last few weeks. For Christmas, Josh gave me a Brothers sewing machine and I have been sewing away! While I have enjoyed making new things on the sewing machine, I have realized that I don't really enjoy cutting out the material. And honestly, I am notoriously know as being a horrible cutter. I cannot cut a straight line to save my life. (Even with a sewing ruler and rotary cutter, I was struggling!) So, Josh came to the rescue and help me figure out a way to get our Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut out patterns for my smaller sewing projects. While researching, we realized that there's not too much information on this topic. Hopefully, this hack will help you out!

Ella's reaction after I sewed her first bandana!
She was overjoyed!

*This hack is for the Cricut Explore Air 2. The Cricut Maker already cuts fabrics.

Materials:

• Cricut Explore Air 2
• Cricut Bonded Fabric Blade
• Freezer Paper
• Cricut Fabric Cutting Mat
• Fabric for sewing project
• Rotary cutter
• Sewing ruler

(I added links to some of the Cricut projects on Amazon!)

For this project, I am showing you how I cut a pattern to create a dog bandana. This is a smaller sewing project. I'm not sure how this hack would work with larger sewing projects, but if the material can fit on the Cricut cutting mat it should work!

Step 1: Cut the fabric down to a square or a rectangle that will fit your pattern.

For example, I was cutting a triangle like shape that is 10" wide and 6.5" high. When first cutting the fabric into a smaller portion, I cut it into a rectangle of 11" wide and 8" long.  Or you can cut the fabric down to the Cricut mat size. 

Step 2: Cut freezer paper to cover both sides of the fabric. 

Step 3: Make sure the glossy side is facing down onto the fabric. Take the iron and iron the freezer paper on top of the fabric. Iron until the freezer paper is bonded to the material. Do this for both sides. 

Step 4: Lay the newly bonded fabric onto the Cricut Fabric Cutting mat. 

Step 5: Load your mat into the Cricut and turn the dial to Fabric. In Cricut Design Space, click on the "Make It" button and make sure the material type is set to fabric. Also make sure you load the bonded fabric blade into the blade space. When you're ready, click the Cricut symbol.

Step 6: Once your fabric is cut, pull it off of the cutting mat and peel off the freezer paper. Then your fabric is ready to be sewn!

Hope this hack is helpful for you and your sewing endeavors!