Birds of a Feather--Block 1

I am anxious to see how yours turns out Joan. Your first block looks terrific. DH wandered by the monitor and commented about how he liked it. Maybe it is something I should do too?

Taria

joan8904 >

Your block looks just great Joan! I love the colors together! Changing the color scheme from the original on such a complex project is a rather daunting task. I think you're off to a great start. By the way, who is the newest 311 fan??? :-)

I also meant to ask....how are you doing the applique?

Newest 311 fan (Olivia) is the daughter of the band's road massage therapist, who is holding the baby in the picture.

The Birds of a Feather book is by Allen and Adams, a Kansas City Star project.

As for the applique, I'm in a perpetual search for the perfect applique technic. At this point, I'm using freezer paper templates and either rubber cement or glue stick to turn the margins under. Then I'm using a very narrow zigzag stitch with dark invisible thread to secure them to the background. I want the 'poof' of applique (not fused), but my hand applique is so slow that I might not out live the project. For some of the appliqued circles (berries) in other blocks, I'm using mylar circles and starch (with the iron) to turn the margins. If there were more repeating pieces in the blocks, I'd probably do mylar for them, but I hate to make a template for just one bird or one flower.

I get burned out on whatever technic I try.

joan--short-attention span quilter!

Sharon Schamber's technique might work well for you. She uses an interfacing that dissolves for her templates. Hummm I wonder if her new website has her techinque? I don't have it bookmarked. Basically she glues the seam allowances under and then glues the piece down so it can be stitched. The piece is then washed and the stiff interfacing turns into fibers that are left behind the now soft applique. That's the basics. I've left out quite a bit....let me know if you need further info and I'll see if I can find her online info.

I've seen several of her quilts in Paducah and they are wonderful. Technic might be worth a try!

Thanx, joan

Joan....I just fused and light invisibled thread appliqued a small wall hanging...primitive style WH...and now that i want the applique to 'pouf' a bit I'm not sure what to do and it just lays on the floor awaiting my decision ! I'm hoping that quilting will do it . I bought Sharon Schamber's book on applique and in it she has a new product ..available on her website and softexpressions.com as well....and apparently it is an applique stabilizer that will soften and pouf somewhat when you wash it using synthropol...and supposed to make machine applique look like hand applique !!!... I"m hoping that this will really work well because I have many projects I'd like to do but just can't manage to do them by hand if I want them finished in my lifetime. When I tried to buy it at her site a few weeks ago it wasn't in stock but I'm going to try again now that she has it available. Has anyone here tried it yet?...It is called...Regular Weight Applique Foundation ( also comes in Lightweight ) Mary in VT

Sharon's method with her stabilizer will not work with fusing or raw edges. It really doesn't poof by itself. It is a stabilizer from which you cut out your applique templates. Then you turn under the edges and glue them down with water soluble glue. You applique this piece to your foundation and it will feel very stiff until you wash/soak it. Water makes the stabilizer fall apart into small fibers that won't change the hand of your quilt. If I recall correctly, Sharon doesn't recommend washing the background fabric, so it will shrink up a little bit when washing out the stabilizer....then the applique will pop up just a bit.

I find that even my invisible thread applique will 'poof' up nicely after being washed.

No matter what, this quilt is going to be tedious and I'm going to have to work on it one block at a time, interspersed with easier projects.

I would like to hear if any 'mere mortal' has worked with the Shamber technic.

joan

I have! I have! I think Sandy has too. Here's mine....but not washed yet. Still looks puffy though.

That's absolutely outstanding!

thanx, joan

Thanks Joan! It's quite a bit of prep work before you get to sew anything, but it certainly comes out nicely.

Gorgeous !!! That looks wonderful. I did read the directions in her book but I guess I wasn't ready to really learn something new..plus buy more new product (s). Also, she was on simply Quilts a few years ago demonstrating Piece le Que but I couldn't follow it !!! Guess I'll have to take my dunce cap off . Mary/vt

"KJ" < > I have! I have! I think Sandy has too.