Hand Applique Thread

Thanks for posting -- this is exactly the kind of post (and thread -- in the Usenet sense of the word :-) that I save for future reference.

ep

I still love silk for hand applique. I knot it on the needle; sometimes it does come loose anyhow, so I try to watch it and retie before it slips out if necessary. Because it just seems to melt into the fabric, I don't need an assortment of colors. I've done entire wall hangings with one color -- taupe -- though I now have black and white, too. I don't like that it is hard to find locally, but a spool lasts a long time.

Julia > I have become addicted to Hand Appliqué. Right now, I am using the freezer

Julia, I even use a DOUBLE knot and it sometimes come loose. Drives me plum crazy. If I could glue it onto the needle, I would try that!

The other day, I didn't have anything close to a 30's green in any thread so I used #239 (YLI - silk), which is a cream color. And the stitches show, as tiny as they are. I thought the taupe would be too dark, but I should have tried it. I'm trying to figure out now if anyone else will be able to see it.

Cindy

Back when I taught various quilting classes I would appliqué pink or yellow to white using black or red thread to show my students how to form the stitch. My stitches barely showed at all and some of that was 'show-thru' and not the stitches themselves. Maybe you could get your stitches a bit more under the edge of the appliqué shape? Not criticizing, just another approach??? And I used Coats and Clark back then- all that was readily available around here and before I got to have a thread fetish and a ridiculously large thread collection! LOL

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

The alternative is to look at it a completely different way: an excellent teacher I have met several times, renowned for Cathedral Windows (where the rollbacks are all hand-stitched) said that, if it is obvious that the piece has to have been stitched down onto a base - of whatever sort - then the stitches might as well show! So, instead of doing an invisible stitch along the edge, she would do tiny running stitches along the top - not terribly close. I did take her point, as even if the stitch doesn't show, the indentation usually will. . In message , Leslie& The Furbabies in MO. writes

Thanks for the tips! I don't know what backstitch method is -- I've just been doing needleturn. A couple of things I have discovered allong the way is that those wooden cuticle sticks is lovely for edge-turning particularly difficult areas. Also the class I took, they used John James straw needles. I really liked them. I'm halfway through a very simple applique child's quilt, with just large stars, hearts and circles. I am having a ball and can see that this can be very addictive.

Sherry

'Thread Heaven' thread conditioner makes threads for hand stitching much more cooperative. A little box seems kind of pricey but it will last for years. I still have not conducted my own experiment but it is said that OxyClean or similar will dissolve silk. It would so annoying to have your appliqué fall off because of a wash with Oxy. Polly

Whew! I'm so glad I'm not the only one with a thread fetish. Sometimes it is almost embarrassing, then I just close the closet door so nobody else can see them.

Trixie

Oh, yeah. Thread fetish, indeed! I have a rack that holds 24 large spools- full. Five more racks that hold 120 spools each- full. Then there's the fancy threads stored in tubs- the heavy duty threads and the wooly stuff and the 'couch only' decorative threads- oh my. I'm guessing about 800 spools/threads total plus about 3-400 bobbins (?) in 10 bobbin boxes. And all are organized by type and color. I HATE when I move and have to sort them all over again!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

There is a nice explanation on how to do back basting for applique on this site:

I believe you need to know how to needleturn your pieces in order to back baste, so you are all set. It's just another method to use for marking and basting your pieces into place.

marcella

Okay, so I'm lazy. As fussy as I am in my hand applique, I have no patience for paper backing, basting lines or anything like that. I do trace and cut out my pieces and iron the freezer paper to the the fabric and then cut them out carefully with a bit of a generous 1/8" seam and then rip the paper off soon after. I just needle turn that much under as I sew along. I know it's not proper but it works for me.

So, those of you that do, I assume you really like the John James straw needles for applique. I've never thought of buying any but have seen them mentioned here often. What do you like about them? Their thinness, length. Just wondering so on my next trip to the LQS I might get some. By the way, what size do you like?

Steven Alaska, where the snow is creeping down the mountainside, but not to our house yet, and the leaves are mostly gone.

Needle choice, Steven, depends quite a bit on the nature of the fabric you're appliquéing. I've seen your creations and know that you know that some fabric is soft and mushy, some rather stiff and some is downright contrary. I find it very helpful to have a collection of fine needles so I can rootle around and figure out what will work best each time. A needle that's been stuck in a pin cushion given you by Aunt Hortense back in 1982 will certainly do okay for sewing on a button but it is good, good to have great needles. My personal favorite for appliqué is a milliner (also referred to as 'straw'). If an LQS is not convenient to you, you might consider the collections available at

"Steven Cook" Okay, so I'm lazy. As fussy as I am in my hand applique, I have no

My stitches are pretty teeny, for some reason they just show on this fabric, I have no idea why. I've never had that problem, especially with silk thread.

And aren't we glad thread doesn't take up quite as much room as fabric!

Cindy

Oh, Crikey! Not even close, Les!

Cindy

~~~~~~~~~~

I like wooden toothpicks, but what I like better than anything else are my tweezers. I have a pair with rounded ends and a pair of angled pointed ends that I use constantly to turn under, mash and poke threads. I've found a lot of my equipment from my paper crafting days spills over into my quilting, thank goodness.

Also, I use Mary Ellen's best press on my fabric and get it good and stiff before I iron on my freezer paper. I use my Clover iron to turn the edges.

Cindy

I saw a spool of water soluble thread and the description said (and I'm not kidding here) "should not be used on swim wear".

Well, I hope to shout!

cindy

I use straw needles for hand piecing, but I like a bit shorter needle for appliqué, myself. And you aren't lazy, Steven! That works for you. I'd make a real mess of it if I didn't press down the edge as much as possible first. Even if I just finger crease it.

I couldn't do appliqué worth a darn until I saw someone who left the paper in until the piece was sewn down completely. Then she split the back and got the paper out the backside.

The light bulb went off over my head! Eureka!

Cindy

Her designs are what led me to quilting, Polly! Actually, they led me to my sewing machine, which led me to quilting. Never did get the heirloom sewing off the ground.

I found a great compromise. Wasn't it someone here who mentioned this site?

Cindy

I have a couple new quilts uploaded at webshots . I got a blue ribbon on my Mini Texas Star, a red ribbon on Japanese Circles and a Celebrity Judge's Choice ribbon on Doll Dresses. They are in my Quilts folder.

i'm with Cindy. i like straw needles, too. not too short, but not too long. if i need longer i use a basting needle. i don't particularly like silk thread, but have used it. i generally use cotton thread in the same color (or close to) as the peice of cloth i am sewing.

Applique is so relaxing.

amy in CNY