Quilting

Step 8 Difficult piecing technique: applique

Applique is the most finicky and time consuming of all piecing techniques, but it's an essential tool if you want smooth curves. The idea is to carefully crease the fabric into a curve and hold it in place with pins and basting stitches. Then the hemmed fabric piece is laid on top of existing fabric and carefully stitched down. Because with applique fabric is being stitched over the existing fabric rather than against it, you end up with a slight ridge from the folded seam. There are hand stitching styles that make a nice hidden applique edge, but I've never had the patience to do anything but machine stitching.

To make an applique shape first cut the fabric to size, leaving allowance for a hem. Next fold hem under and, pin flat, and iron the shape, then use basting stitches (long loose hand sewn stitches intended for later removal) to hold the seam in place. Technically you could skip this step and just use pins, but I find that pins can pull the fabric slightly out of alignment, are hard to sew over, and I frequently poke and scratch myself while working with things with lots of pins in them. Once the shape is ready lay it over your existing work and very carefully sew the edge down, staying as close to the border as you can.

You can use this technique either to create curved shapes to overlay your design (this is the classic way to add circles), or you can construct the whole quilt out of overlapping applique-style curved edges.

Comments

[b1ack0]

you should try iron on pellon, you would be surprised how easy it is and how much you can do with it . no pinning!!!! it will also stabilize it and you wont have the puckers. then you can machine stitch ( the blanket stitch) it on . ask someone at a quilt shop about it. your making it way to hard and scaring off any potential appliquers .