Sizzix BigKick

Can Sizzix Bigkick cut fabrics?

Finally I received my Sizzix Bigkick last Friday. I have been playing with my Sizzix Bigkick with different dies and different materials like paper, felt, fabrics etc. The main reason I got the Sizix Bigkick is I want to make "Fabric Embellishment". I saw a lot of reviews which said it can cut fabrics.

Do all the reviews I read are correct? Let's see my Sizzix Bigkick Fabric Test!!

First Die:
Sizzix Original Die: Frame, Hanging w/Scallops (I got it at JoAnn.com with my Bigkick, it was on sale only $6 or so, but now Sizzix.com sells it for $4)


Sizzix Original Die Frame, Hanging w/Scallops

First I tested it on Quilt Cotton Fabric, it is light weight cotton. Sizzix Bigkick cuts beautifully. No string attach. You can see the pictures below. Very Impressed! I didn't expect how beautiful it cuts.

Quilt Cotton Fabric

Then I tested it on Wool Blend Felt (20% wool and 80% Rayon), it is medium weight, it is thicker than the "Craft Felt" you bought from chained craft stores. Like the cotton fabric, Bigkick did a great job on cutting this wool blend felt. It cuts beautifully. You can see the closeup of the picture.

Wool Blend Felt

Because it was so much fun, I tested the other die I just got at JoAnn clearance.

Second Die:
Sizzix Originals Die - Hearts, Primitive #3 (I paid $4.99 for this die at JoAnn Clearance)

This die comes with 4 sizes of heart shape. I tested it on the cotton fabrics I have, the top row fabric is lighter weight Cotton, the bottom row is regular Quilt Cotton Fabric.


Top Row: Lighter Weight Quilt Cotton Fabric; Bottom Row: Quilt Cotton Fabric

I tested the top row first, because of last test, it cuts the cotton fabric beautifully, so I tried to cut 2 layers of the fabrics instead of 1 layer. And result....

Cutting 2 layers of Cotton Fabrics

You can see from the picture, the edge is not as clean as 1 layer. You can see the string still attached on one of the hearts. After I tested 2 layers, I went back to test 1 layer. It cut beautifully.

Third Die:
Sizzix Bigz Die - Old Jalopy by Tim Holtz Alternations

The pictures didn't come out too good. So I used the stock picture I found online instead.

Sizzix Bigz Die: Old Jalopy by Time Holtz Alternations

Since I know it will cut fabric beautifully, so when I tested this die, I used different types of felts. I tested on three felt pieces, two of them are "craft felt" which you can buy 8"x12" sheet from chained craft store like Michaels and AC Moore etc. The other felt piece is the Wool Blend I tested on the other die before.

If you have touch the 8"x12" felt, you know how cheap and thin are they. I thought because they are so thin, it should cut it without any problem. However, it is not quit true. For most part, it cut well. But for the small or delicate area, it actually didn't cut well. The small part is broken into two pieces.

Brown is Wool Blend Felt. Green and White are 8"x12" Craft Felt.

As you can see on the picture, there is missing part on the Green Car. Even though the white car didn't miss that small part, but it is just barely attached. Except that, the main car body cut very nice on both types of felt.

You can see that the Green Car miss part of it.

Conclusion:

In General, Sizzix Bigkick cut fabric beautifully when you use Original or Bigz Dies. However, cutting fabrics with dies which has dedicated or small part, the fabric choice is very crucial. The thinner the fabric it is more likely not do well with these types of dies. But I haven't tested enough with these type of dies. I will try to test more in next couple weeks. Also, I heard mixed reviews about Sizzlits and Sizzix Framelit cutting fabrics. I bought a Sizzix Framelit die, I will test it soon.

If you have experience with cutting fabrics with Sizzlits or Sizzix Framelit dies, please share your experience. I would love to learn more about it.

Art by Waiyi

Wednesday, August 28, 2013