applique letters

I need to make some applique letters for a quilt and I'm not sure how to do it. I think I know how to sew around the outside, but how the heck do you handle the centers. such as in the letters B and P? I can't seem to find anything on the net about this.

Thanks for your help.

Barb C in S. FL

Reply to
harrythehair
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We need more info to give you specific directions- how are you doing the applique- by hand, fused, satin stitched, etc. The general answer is do it the same way you do the outside edges for the inside edges.

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

How are you appliqueing them? And how big are the letters? But basically, with a craft knife you make a cross-shaped cut from the centre of the hole up to the line you're going to sew around (or if the letters are quite big you might make more cuts giving you more of a star-shape), then fold the triangular portions under, press, and sew as normal. Is that clear? It seems clear to me, but then again I already know how to do it. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

Reply to
Melanie Rimmer

Cutting the centers, for me would be to find the center of the part that you want open and to cut so that I've trimmed it to a normal seam allowance for applique around where you'll be stitching inside the letter. Then I'd clip down to a thread or two of the stitching line and stitch as I do the outside. I don't do a lot of machine applique, though I would probably do the same thing to cut away the excess fabric. Then I would stitch the inside just like I would do the outside.

Mary in Mesa

harrythehair wrote:

Reply to
Cornwoman

Reply to
nzlstar*

I'm giving up on the applique letters - I now am trying to machine embroider letters on fabric . My problem now is that I haven't had many lessons for my Janome and I'm not sure how to do spacing. I have this plastic thingy that goes on top of the B hoop and it seems I can only do 4 letters at a time and then have to figure out how to add the rest of the letters. My son has wanted (for about 3 years) a quilt with the name "Preakness" at the top, a big (applique that I can do) number 7 and "Smarty Jones" on the bottom. It's supposed to look like a race horse blanket. I've so far tried the applique and paper peicing with no good results. I'm at a loss. My son told me it's a simple design. If it's so simple, why am I having such a hard time? Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

Barb C in S. Fl

Reply to
harrythehair

Barb,

Are you doing this by machine or by hand?

I would suggest machine. I made a bunch of numbered flags for my Scout District and did it like this:

(1) Find some letters that you like on the computer (2) Make them bold and enlarge them (you can use just the outline, if you can get the computer to corporate - this saves toner) (3) Print them (4) Find a fusible (two-sided) (5) Lay the fusible over the _back_ of print-outs (to make sure the letters are not mirror image) and trace the outlines, including the inside of letters like "P" (6) Roughly cut the letters - you can rough cut the inside of "P" if you like, but you don't have to (7) Press to the back of you fabric and cut along the lines (8) Place on quilt top (9) fuse in place (10) stitch around the edges

I know the list is long, but each step is fairly simple - unless you want the letters _very_ small.

Hm - or you could look at fabric paint, maybe?

Hanne in London

Reply to
Hanne Gottliebsen

WordArt has outlines.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

Hanne Gottliebsen wrote:

Reply to
Sally Swindells

I've fused letters on wall hangings. I use PrintMaster to make my patterns. I find a font I like and scale it to the size I want. I print just the outline of the letters and I reverse (mirror image) them before printing so that I can trace them as is on the fusible backing. I usually use Heat'n'Bond Ultra so I don't have to stitch them down at all. For something that is going to get more wear, I'd use a different fusible and satin stitch around them -- both inside and outside -- to hold them securely in place.

Julia in MN

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Hanne Gottliebsen wrote:

Reply to
Julia in MN

Reply to
Taria

I used H'n'B Ultra (once) on a design my DS used to make a kite... It didn't hold up (don't know if 'twas the nylon on the kite ( had to lower the iron's temperature) or the force of the wind against it - or what. I ended up zig-zagging it on. Gummed up the SM needle horribly -- solved the problem by using rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab and cleaning the needle off every inch or so. (That's before I found that "Sew-Easy" (?) stuff in a bottle at TSWLTH).

Reply to
ME-Judy

OOOHHhh that stuff isn't made for machine sewing! When it's fused correctly, it can stand up to machine washing. I bet the temperature and fusing time was the problem.

Reply to
KJ

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