I like doing hand applique, but I do not enjoy tracing and cutting out the fabric pieces. With a Scan N Cut you can skip the tracing and let the machine do the cutting for you. I’m going to show you how to add a seam allowance to your applique shapes for handwork and to make the Scan N Cut do the cutting for you.

Supplies:
Quilt fabric
Heavy spray starch
Scan N Cut machine
Low tack mat
Regular tack mat with the extra-sticky mat on it
Applique shapes printed at full size on paper

Instructions:

1. Set desired seam allowance by pressing the wrench button.
2. On page 3 selected your desired seam allowance and click the OK button.
3. Place paper pattern on the low tack mat.
4. Load low tack mat with attached paper pattern by pressing the load mat button.
5. Press Scan icon.

6. Press Scan to Cut Data icon. Press Start/Stop button to scan. Wait for the scan to be processed.
7. Unload mat by pressing the same button you pressed to load the mat.
8. Crop the image, if necessary, and press SAVE button.
9. You will be offered options to save the scanned image to a USB stick or the Scan N Cut internal memory.

10. You wind up back at the cropping/save screen which is a little confusing. Use the return button ‘U turn’ arrow in upper right corner to proceed. Click on OK to delete scanned data.

11. Use the return button in the next screen to get to the Pattern or Scan screen.
12.  Press the Pattern button,

13. Press the Saved Data button.
14. Now it is time to retrieve a previously saved image. Press the button that corresponds to where the image was saved. You may need to page down to find the image with the pieces you want to cut.
15. Select the image and press OK.
16. To put a seam allowance around one or more pieces in an image, select top left icon.

17. Select a shape you want to add seam allowance to . A red box will appear around the selected shape. Press the button at the right end of the  middle row.
18. The button on bottom left will add the seam allowance to the selected piece.
19. Seam allowance has been added.
20. Repeat with each shape. When all the shapes that you need have a seam allowance, press OK.

21. Starch the fabric with heavy spray starch. This will give the fabric more body and produce better cutting results. Place fabric on extra sticky mat. Load the mat with the fabric. Note in the photo above that there are several pieces of fabric on the mat. The pieces I need for this small project will be arranged below to be cut from the proper color in a single cutting session rather than a separate cutting session for each color.

22. Press the scan button located near the bottom left corner of screen.
23. You will be able to see the scan of your fabric, allowing you to move each piece to where you want to cut out your applique shape. Click on the OK button
24. If you want the original shape to be drawn on the fabric use either the water soluble or air erasable fabric pen in the white pen holder.
25. If you want to draw, press the DRAW key.
26. If necessary, replace the white pen holder with the blue blade holder and set it according to instructions in the manual.
27. Press the CUT button.

28. Remove fabric from mat. For this design, it is easier to remove the large fabric pieces first, leaving the shapes that are part of the finished project rather than trying to pick the shapes out leaving the surrounding fabric.