Sometimes, you find just the right tool for the job and it isn’t always made for that job. This one helps with cutting fabrics in tight spaces when embroidering cutwork.

Unless you make your own clothing, you might not even know how this tool is used. It’s a buttonhole cutter, otherwise known as a chisel with a razor-sharp edge. I discovered just how handy a buttonhole cutter is while creating a cutwork napkin using an applique design. 

Depending upon the size of the design, areas that you need to cutout can be quite small. Yes, you can carefully snip the center of the fabric to get a hole started for trimming, but with smaller tack-down areas, it’s difficult to separate the fabric you want to cut from the stabilizer. Using a buttonhole cutter is much easier.

My buttonhole cutter came with a miniature cutting mat. If yours doesn’t, or if you are using an X-Acto knife, make sure you place a piece of wood or your cutting mat behind whatever you are cutting. 

I used my cutter to slice into the middle of each area I needed to cut. Go the whole way through the stabilizer.

Since this uses cutwork technique, it was stitched on a fabric-type water-soluble stabilizer like Sulky Fabri-Solvy. Don’t be afraid to cut all the way through the stabilizer. Just cut a couple of strips of an adhesive water-soluble stabilizer to tape over the cut marks in your hooped stabilizer.

Carefully tape them over the cut lines on the back of the stabilizer. That will hold the stabilizer snug for stitching the rest of the design and finishing satin stitches and will be rinsed away at the end. Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy and Vilene Tacky work quite well as a bandage.

Flip the hoop over and carefully trim the layer or layers of fabric away with sharp scissors. Continue embroidery and rinse away all water-soluble stabilize when you are done for a great finish.

Debbie SewBlest