what is your most favourite applique method and why??

only one method, your most favourite and do tell me why please.

if you have any links, that shows you're method, would be appreciated. ya never know i might not have seen the ones you've got. others might like a bit of a look see at them too.

tia, j.

Reply to
J*
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Is your question limited to hand appliqué? Polly

"J*" only one method,

Reply to
Polly Esther

I enjoy needle-turn applique most -- simple to do, useful on almost everything, looks good, and requires no equipment beyond needle/thread/ good eye. A little old lady taught me years ago, so I have no on line sources for you. However, there is almost always some sort of illustrated instruction in various applique techniques in most Baltimore quilt pattern books.

Reply to
Mary

Reply to
Julia in MN

I like a method that I've not seen in a book (and I've looked in several), it's needle turn with freezer paper underneath. The only difficulty is accurate placing of the pieces, but I suspect that could be overcome with a light box (I don't have one). It does mean you need to remove the paper, but then you'd have to do that on any method where you prepare the pieces. I've found that with freezer paper on top that there is an annoying tendency for it to peel, particularly at corners.

Cheers Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers

Reply to
Joanna

anything ya fancy, Polly. j.

"Polly Esther" wrote ... Is your question limited to hand appliqué? Polly

"J*" only one method,

Reply to
J*

The method I use most often is the sturdiest and the fastest. For a template, I have a nicely shaped heart cut from sandpaper. I cut two hunks of fabric bigger than the heart, place them right sides together and stitch around the sandpaper heart. Trim, slash, turn, press. Voila! Next I hold the pressed appliqué in position on the quilt block with a swipe of a glue stick. The usual SM stitch is the one that goes ___/\___. Sometimes I use matching thread and a skinny V, sometimes I'm a showoff, load with black thread and use a blanket stitch. This method can survive just about any wear and tear and will work for most simple shapes. You do have to pay attention when slashing or you can wind up with two left feet or a backwards b which is, of course, d. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

I've become addicted to appliqué. It's all I want to do right now. I like the freezer paper on the wrong side method. I had an "a-HA!" moment when I saw someone appliqué a piece down, snip the wrong side of the foundation and pull the paper out through the slit.

That had never occurred to me. And it was a revelation because before I saw that, no matter how careful I tried to be, I always distorted the piece trying to pull the paper out before the piece was sewn completely down.

Oh, and I use the heat of my fingers to crease the fabric over the edge of the freezer paper before I start stitching it down. I always have my little Clover iron beside me. I don't think I could appliqué without it.

Cindy

Reply to
teleflora

This is the one I prefer, too, J.

I love needle-turn, but don't always have the time. Mind you, I haven't done very much appliqué in comparison to piecing. . In message , Polly Esther writes

Reply to
Patti

I use this method but I baste the fabric around the freezer paper so it stays in place while I sew it down. (I iron it too at this stage). I've never used glue on the pieces.

I do a small running stitch around the outside curves and just pull the stitches up so that it fits snugly round the freezer paper. Any visible gathers disappear when its stitched down.

When I remove the freezer paper from the back I also trim the excess foundation fabric back to about a 1/4" to reduce bulk.

No instruction pictures - this was the way I was taught at the LQS's classes.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

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teleflora wrote:

Reply to
Sally Swindells

I do a lot of sm satin stitch appliqué. My fav method is to draw the pattern in reverse on tracing paper (cheap, crispy, thin paper). The paper drawing is pinned to the wrong side of the backing fabric. Then I work from the 'bottom' appliqué shapes forward. (For a simple flower with stem and leaves and center the order would be leaves, stem and flower then flower center.) First I'd place the green fabric for the leaves wrong side to right side of the background. Then sewing from the paper side I outline the leaf shape with very small stitches. Trim the leaf fabric close to the stitching, trim away the background fabric behind the leaf and on to the next piece.

With this method you are all ready for satin stitching as soon as the paper pattern is removed- and bits of paper aren't a problem as they are on the wrong side of the background. The appliqué is prepared without using fusibles (time consuming, bulky, expensive and it can get stiff with many layers) or messing with any additional preparation. Your shapes are all in place with the edges well secured and ready to satin stitch in the same order as they were outline stitched.

And I *always* test my satin stitch and the threads I will be using before I start sewing the satin stitch on the block/quilt top and I *always* use a quality tear-away stabilizer. And I *always* use the sm foot with a groove on the bottom and an open toe- so I can see exactly what I'm doing and the satin stitch slides nicely under the foot- otherwise it can get stuck and the stitches will pile up and make an ugly lump of stitches. I have pivoting on the curves down to an art! ;-)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie& The Furbabies in MO.

A very interesting attack, Leslie. I think I'll try it - maybe on burp cloths until your method and I become friendly. Yesterday I saw a special offer of four burp cloths for only $ 32.00. Not, of course, including tax and shipping. Doesn't that just stagger you? What is your preferred needle for pretty satin stitching? Polly

"Leslie& The Furbabies in MO." <

Reply to
Polly Esther

Like Pat, I haven't done nearly as much appliqué as piecing, but I have done a little. For machine appliqué (which I much prefer at this stage), I like to use Sharon Schamber's technique. She glues the edges of each piece around a special foundation that becomes fiber after getting wet (this allows it to make the appliqué "puff" very slightly). Then use a tiny ZZ stitch all around.

For hand appliqué, which I'm still trying to learn to like, Martha Nordstrand has a good way. The pieces are glue-sticked around freezer paper, then "placed" on a template of the entire pattern that's inside of a piece of plastic (like a page protector) and glued in place. Once the glue dries, you can lift the entire motif -- stems, leaves *and* flowers, for example -- and place it on a background fabric for hand stitching. This allows you to audition different background quite easily.

Reply to
Sandy

I find I use a size 14 topstitching needle for almost everything but piecing. I try out several needles and use the one that likes the fabric, thread and the type of appliqué- as in how may layers I'm sewing thru. On the trial piece I start with my stitch length at .30 and width at somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 depending on how much the fabric shreds, how close I trimmed, how many layers I'm working with, etc. Then I make my minor adjustments as needed. And I always lower the top tension from 5 to 4 to prevent the bobbin thread from coming to the top- unless that's the look I want for that piece. So... as always- it depends! LOL

What a fine sale you found on those burp cloths. I hope you stocked up! VBEG

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie& The Furbabies in MO.

Leslie, do you place the stabilizer between the foundation fabric and the copy paper?

Cindy

Reply to
teleflora

Cindy, I think Leslie has the tracing paper gone before she does the satin stitching that requires the stabilizer. Her instructions are very particular (not the word I'm looking for but good enough) - I'm thinking I'd better print them and keep them close at hand before I give it a try. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

I *always* have my stabilizer against the feeddogs with the fabric, paper, etc. stacked above that. Sometimes I use a heavy water soluble stabilizer when it's appropriate like for machine lace (it's terribly expensive and I resent every millimeter of waste!), but my very favorite stabilizer is Easy Stitch. I buy it by the bolt. It's a bit spongy and rubbery feeling and has perforations. The one thing I really love about it is that it will melt away under a hot iron. Now don't go thinking I melt it off rather than tear it! VBG Like for the edges of postcards when you satin stitch the edges, then pull off the tear away you have will little whiskers of the stabilizer on the edge of the postcard. A hot iron will make those disappear when you use the Easy Stitch. I often make free standing appliqués and satin stitch the edges before it's applied to the quilt- same thing with melting the whiskers.

DO NOT iron anything larger than whiskers when using Easy Stitch!!! ;-)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie& The Furbabies in MO.

Polly, I do this also, but instead of using two pieces of fabric, I use one used dry sheet and then the fabric of choice. Sew wrong side of abric to the dryer sheet. Trim, then make a slit in the dryer sheet, turn right sides out.

I used ths method also when doing my Moon over the Mountain blocks!

G> The method I use most often is the sturdiest and the fastest. =A0For a

Reply to
Ginger in CA

Sorry, yes, the paper is removed before the satin stitching- after all the shapes have been outline sewn in place thru the paper- with the appropriate fabric- onto the background fabric... not a foundation fabric. I only sew thru the paper to get the outline of the shapes stitched in place... then it's removed. And don't forget to trim after each step.

Then I satin stitch over the straight stitches and tiny margin that's left after trimming the appliquéd fabrics... that were sewn thru the paper. I apologize for not being clearer in the instructions- I'd just woke up and hadn't yet had my Diet Cherry Coke! LOL

It's always worth the few extra minutes of experimenting with a technique, fabrics, threads, needles, stabilizers and tension settings to save hours of frustration and wasted fabrics. And asking lots of questions to get everything clear in your mind! LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Reply to
Leslie& The Furbabies in MO.

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