Hand Applique Thread

Glad to get your report--and to know of someone other than myself is hooked on applique. I love silk thread and after having used it awhile have learned to manage it a bit :) I use the straw needles, are a bit longer and have found needle turning a little easier. Just what ever works for you--enjoy! lyn

Do whatever works for you, Steven. I like to put the freezer paper on the top (right side) of the fabric and leave it on until the piece is stitched down. Works for me, so I'll stick to it. I've heard of other methods of preparation for appliqué that look like they're more work than the appliqué itself; that's not for me.

Julia > Okay, so I'm lazy. As fussy as I am in my hand applique, I have no patience

Ya know, I'll be honest with ya. I never think about it. Grab a length of it and give a yank. If it breaks too easily, I believe I'd toss it. No, that's not honest. If it was a good color and it was almost full, I'm pretty sure I'd have a hard time just tossing it.

Maybe even if it wasn't a good color...

OK, I can't throw stuff away.

Hi, I'm Cindy and I hoard.

No, dear, I didn't mean the size of the stitches but where they come out at the edge of the fold on the applique. Maybe you could get them a bit more 'under' the folded edge where you pull the needle/thread thru? My appliqué stitches could be likened more to a running stitch just under the folded-under edge of the appliqué. Just a thought.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Cindy! How come I never saw your WebShots pics before just now? You are gorgeous, your studio is to die for, your hubby is a hottie and your quilts are delish! I especially love the personality blocks. Just great! Thanks for sharing!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Is there a 12-step program for that? Polly "teleflora" wrote> Ya know, I'll be honest with ya. I never think about it. Grab a length of

I hope not!! . In message , Polly Esther writes

That's actually a *very* good description of appliqué stitches, Leslie. I must put it in my mind - it is how Id o it, but had never thought of it like that. It is sure to make it easier to do - somehow! . In message , Leslie& The Furbabies in MO. writes

I use a small travelling iron. Would a Clover one be better. When I looked at them their use seemed a bit limited - was I wrong?

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

teleflora wrote:

I wonder if I can just do 12 steps and have done with all of it. No mucking about with each individual little picadillo. Just take care of the whole lot at once.

Cindy

Oh! Well, that makes sense then, doesn't it.

Cindy > gonna take a deep breath and head back in there and try. Why? Because I quit smoking 5 years ago and I can, that's why.

Well, I don't know, Les. I've posted the link before! And my studio is tiny, tiny! That's why I only make mini's. The stupid doll dress quilt liked to killed me. I was knocking crap over trying to wrestle it through the machine to get those humongous rows together!

Cindy

i use the method that suits that particular project/design, it varies. cant machine applique at all, tried it, hopeless/useless. by hand gives me a total fudge factor so i stick with that. i use whatever thread seems the best colour at the time. i'm getting better all the time at my stitches not showing. for me the trick is to take care the stitch comes out exactly thru the fold in the piece of fabric. seems to work for me so far. i've got 2 wee spools of silk thread but i keep forgetting to try them out. i've more cotton thread so i tend to look for a good colour and go with that. brain like a sieve i guess. i have a couple spools of old poly threads and now use them for EPP basting. oh i have some pretty coloured rayons too that will be for quilting as soon as i get around to doing some quilting of something. fwiw, j.

"teleflora" wrote ... I have become addicted to Hand Appliqué. Right now, I am using the freezer paper method to turn under the edge. I wish I had known about back basting first, I think it's easier, but once I learn how to do something one way, I have a hard time changing.

Anyway, as with any of my many obsessions, I am always looking for the "best" equipment to make the job easier.

Needles: I love Clover Gold Eye Appliqué needles, #12. I bend them after awhile, but I love them. Maybe because they are a bit flexible.

Thread: I have struggled with thread. When I first started, I just used whatever Coats & Clarks thread matched my fabric. And I wondered why my stitches showed! I tried silk thread and it just melted into the fabric. But I hated working with it. Even if I knotted the thread onto the needle I found that it would still come loose. Plus, if I had any kind of rough skin on the tips of my fingers, I was shredding the thread. It was a pain in the arse, but it looked great. Then I found out about 50 weight Aurifil and I really, really liked it. I started using it for everything - appliqué, hand piecing, even machine piecing. It's really fine and strong. Didn't melt into the fabric like silk, but it was easy to work with and there were really great colors.

A few weeks ago, I was looking at the Piece O' Cake appliqué website and they recommended and sold Superior thread called Frostings in bobbin sets for appliqué. They have 3 different collections of 12 colors each that are just beautiful. It's 50wt and just a little finer than Auriful. I really, really like this thread.

I went to the Superior thread website and found yet another thread. It's called The Bottom Line. I bought all three sets that were offered. It is

100% polyester. The colors are great and just enough different from the Frosting line that I now have a nice collection of colors. The only bad thing about this thread is that Polyester is just about as fiddly as silk. It has a mind of it's own and tends to flip out of the needles. Since I use the thread right down to the needle, it's kind of a pain.

I won't be using this thread for hand OR machine piecing, so it should last a long time.

Anyway, that's my Report on Hand Appliqué. Cindy

I am so impressed with how tidy your room is. Wow, you can really see all the beautiful colors of thread on display. It is like a work of art!

Trixie

Not tonight, it ain't!~ Thanks, Trixie.

Cindy

Cindy-you made my day. After the snide remarks from another poster, I was not going to post today, but you cheered me up with your humor! Thanks! amy in CNY

What a beautiful studio! I am so jealous . . . . My sewing machine faces a window between my piano and a low lateral file cabinet, with my dining table behind me.

ep

Thank you, EP. It is a joy to work in there and I appreciate all that I have. But please bear in mind that I have been collecting this 'stuff'- furniture, cabinets, fabrics and thread, tools and equipment, etc. for more than twenty years. I didn't rush out and buy it all at once. VBG (Except I trade sewing machines every three years- simply cuz my sm dealer gives me three years of free services and adjustments!) I believe you are a somewhat new-ish quilter? Now is the time to start on your own path of gradually accumulating 'stuff' for this wonderful addiction!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I can't figure out how to save the photo of your studio, so I will bookmark it. It will give me a goal :-)

And yes, I'm just now learning to make quilts.

ep