Applique Question

What is the best kind of fray preventive to use with applique--- like for that occasional tricky inner corner or the like? I was horrified, recently, to see that the Fray Check I had used on the buttonholes of a rayon shirt was visible after it dried. I certainly don't want that to happen with my applique!

Phae

Reply to
Phaedrine
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What kind of applique are you interested in doing?

On needleturn, I don't use any sort of fray stuff.

-georg

Reply to
Georg

I do a lot of hand and machine applique using various methods including needleturn and I always use high quality fabrics. On rare occasions, I worry about certain spots fraying, especially tiny inside corners, and would like to mitigate that with a bit of fray preventive. I'm so glad you never need to use any. But I'd like to know if I have that option... that is my question.

Reply to
Phaedrine

Try FrayBlock by june tailor. It doesn't dry hard like Fray Check which is not a good thing on buttonholes because then the fabric becomes irritating to tender skin. I think that if I were working on a fine creation that I would give the FrayBlock a test on a spare scrap. I haven't caught it making a visible spot but it just could happen. Polly

Reply to
polly esther

Reply to
nzlstar*

I apologize if I sounded harsh. But I knew if the answer would like depend on what style of applique you prefer. I'm glad Polly was more helpful.

-georg

Reply to
Georg

I don't use it for appliqué, but for regular sewing I use Fray Block, not Fray check, just because of the reason you mention. That stuff shows through almost everything. Fray Block rarely does. Gen

VI,Shakespeare)

Reply to
Don/Gen

Thanks, I'll test it and give it a try. :) Hopefully, my hand-applique skills will improve but I've been doing some really tiny pieces for flowers and I sometimes have a problem with inside corners. And needleturn applique is pretty difficult to rip out.

Reply to
Phaedrine

how tiny? got pix? jeanne

Reply to
nzlstar*

Much of my applique is made with iron-on interfacing on the back so fraying is not really a problem on any turn/point. But if I was doing "non-stabilised" needleturn I would try spray starch and a mini iron first. The only types of fray check liquids available out here I have not been happy with.

But most times a fine needle, silk thread and tiny little stitches take care of stray threads.

Reply to
Cats

Hi, that sounds so smart, but I can't visualize it and obviously it would work better than what I do. Is there any way you can post photos of the process? I don't know what "the interfacing method" is. Any light you can shine will make my applique better. :)

Thanks, Sunny

nzlstar* wrote:

Reply to
Sunny

Wow. I really like this idea. Sunny, I think I followed Jeanne and if I didn't, I do hope she'll find a way to demonstrate for us. Think of a tulip. Three petals. Are you with me? ^x^x^ At the x's, there's going to be those hated sharp inside corners. If you cut a separate middle tulip petal from its tip all the way down to the flower's base and placed it over the other two, you have eliminated the mean little rascally inside corners. How did I do? Do I get to be in the front of the line at recess - or must I go stand in the 'time-out' corner again? Polly

"Sunny" wrote, in part> Hi, that sounds so smart, but I can't visualize it and obviously it

Reply to
polly esther

Hi Sunny, theres more than one way to do this too. my way... is using 'non fuse', 'non woven', lightweight, see thru, extremely strong, wont rip no matter how hard you try interfacing. here its called 'traceable vilene'. cheap as chips too. last time i got some paid only $1.20 a metre. i use empty cereal boxes and sketch the shape i want on that, cut it out and use as templates. love recycling and the price is right also, lol. draw round the template on the vilene. cut it out adding an eyeballs 1/4" for the seams. sew this by machine to the right side of the fabric. if i'm doing a lot of leaves i just draw them all on one big piece of vilene as close as i can and lay it onto a big piece of fabric, then sew like a mad woman. this can then be cut out while watching tv. cut each one out, trimming the seams and any points as small as you like. then very carefully (i use my seam ripper) make a slit in the interfacing big enough to turn the piece inside out. this piece now is ready to attach to the background.

where pieces overlap on the background there is no need to sew the interfacing round the entire piece, just three sides or whatever sides will be showing on the block. those underlapped pieces can be left unsewn and turn it inside out on that side. i do try to adapt designs so there are few if any inside points and hard curves. i think they are a pita to attach cleanly to the background. sometimes i will redraw the design so i use a couple extra pieces and overlap so i dont have any inside points/curves. i fudge the design to suit my needs. heres a link with maybe a better explanation and pix.

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one will know there is interfacing under the pieces unless you tell them, its that thin. you dont need to cut out the background and remove the inderfacing like some folks do.holler if you need more info, no worrys, i do love this method heaps and happy to share my experience with it.jeanne

Reply to
nzlstar*

a gold STAR for Polly, lol. yup, thats pretty much the gist of the method. anyone who 'likes' those pesky inside bits must have a screw or three loose, lol. jeanne

Reply to
nzlstar*

i used this same method with two pieces of fabric and made a monarch butterfly, turning it thru where i attached the body later. pix of it and other with interfacing show in my webshots albums. latest and applique folders. that nice clean edge means you're not fiddling the edges under neatly like you do with regular needleturn. tho i only use the interfacing method on pieces big enough to turn out. smaller and its regular needleturn. hope all that info helps you. cheers, jeanne

Reply to
nzlstar*

Stand aside, ye Ladies of the Cloth. I have a gold star awarded by our own Jeanne. Yippee. That beats winning "most beautiful" down at the Swamp Hardware and Feed Store contest anyday. But, as to some having a screw loose or three, our children say since we've retired that we're so loose somebody really ought to follow us around with a basket to pick up the abandoned stray parts. Ah yes. Off to stitch a tulip. Polly

Reply to
polly esther

Ok, I'm getting the picture now. And I have been doing something like this interfacing method without even knowing I was doing something "right". Thanks for the really good and graphic descriptions and help. I really like applique, but I feel like my work could be so much better.

Sunny

nzlstar* wrote:

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no one will know there is interfacing under the pieces unless you tell them,> its that thin. you dont need to cut out the background and remove the> inderfacing like some folks do.> holler if you need more info, no worrys, i do love this method heaps and> happy to share my experience with it.> jeanne

Reply to
Sunny

I'm talking about very small pieces--- 1/2" or even less in places, where I'm turning under only an eighth of an inch or so. Actually I do

1/8" on needleturn and that's pretty much standard on intricate designs. I've done larger pieces with your method using machine stitching with sheer interfacing and then turning it thru a small hole in the interfacing. That works OK for certain kinds of things but for intricate designs, especially those that may already be layered, I find that needleturn is far preferable for me and does not present problems with multiple layers or bearding.

I am also working on some machine applique bunny crib quilts. And for those, I use cereal boxes and the like for the templates like you. For that I press the edges over onto the tag board using a bit of liquid starch I apply with a brush. These particular bunnies are edgestitched in place though I often use a machine blanket stitch as well. And sometimes I use satin stitch too. I do like to try and use a variety of methods because no single method works for all applications.

No, sorry. Thanks for the suggestions.

Phae

Reply to
Phaedrine

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