Quilt Applique Techniques and Tips
Recently, the members of the QuiltersBee
discussion group started a discussion thread on the various methods of
appliqué. It turned out there are as many different methods as there are
quilters! Here are a few of the techniques and suggestion to make them
work. Remember to relax and enjoy the process. Click here to
purchase applique tools.
Needle turn Appliqué
- cut out your motif including a scant seam allowance. Draw the
placement diagram lightly to your base fabric in pencil, then baste
the motif in place with thread or tiny pins. Turn under the edge with
a moist toothpick as you appliqué making sure to cover the placement
lines. It helps to crease the seam allowance with your thumb
before laying the motif on your fabric.
- cut out your motif using a scant seam allowance. Run a basting
stitch along the edges of the motif. Pull the thread slightly and the
appliqué piece will cup the seam allowance in to the wrong side. Pin
the motif to the front of the block along your placement diagram and
appliqué outside the basting thread. Pull the basting thread just
before you finish, or leave it in place.
- Instead of using a basting stitch (above) try using liquid starch.
Just wet a quilt tip with it, wet the area to be turned under and fold
over the seams. It will hold the fold in place while you work,
but it must be rinsed out when you are done quilting the quilt.
- consider using washable Glue to hold your motif in place while you hand appliqué
it to your piece. Fusible
thread can be used as well.
- Water
Soluble thread is the perfect answer for machine and hand basting.
When you have finished quilting, just wash and your basting stitches
dissolve away.
- Use a washout-embroidery stablizer such as Sulky
Solvy Lightweight Water Soluble Stabilizer. With this
method, cut out your appliqué piece and a matching piece of Solvy.
Place them right sides together and sew around the outside using a
very small stitch. Clip your curves. Cut a small hole on
the Solvy and turn the piece inside out. Press.
Applique the piece to your background. When you are done, wash
the patch and the water soluble stabilizer will dissolve.
Here is a video on
blind stitching
Freezer paper appliqué
- cut your freezer paper to the size of the appliqué. Iron it on to
the front of your motif fabric and cut generously around it. Pin the
combination to the front of the block, then needle turn the edges
under as you stitch, using the freezer paper as an edge guide.
- cut your freezer paper to the size of the appliqué. Iron it on the
back of your motif fabric and cut generously around it. Baste the seam
allowance in to the wrong side. Pin the combination to the front of
your block. Appliqué, being careful not to catch the freezer paper in
your stitches. Just before you finish, pull the freezer paper out with
a pair of tweezers
Fusibles
- On the paper side of your fusible (Steam-a-Seam,
Wonder Under), trace your appliqué design. The fusible goes on the
back of your motif (the wrong side of the fabric) so the traced image
has to be reversed to match the pattern. Rough cut these shapes out.
Then lay the web on the WRONG side of the fabric and iron according to
the manufacturers instructions. Now you can cut out the shape on the
traced lines. Remove the paper from the back of the motif and
place it fused side down on your quilt block. Fuse it in place
according to the manufacturers directions.
- If your motif is very large, you might want to remove the center
before ironing the fusible to the back of the motif.
- You don't need to finish the edges of your appliqué. If you
would like to, a satin stitch covers the edges completely. You
can change the look of the piece by using using contrasting or
specialty thread. You may also use a buttonhole/blanket stitch
as well as a tight zig zag with invisible thread instead of satin
stitch, but it won't cover the edge completely.
Other methods
- Cut out your appliqué motifs using templates and adding a scant
seam allowance. Draw the placing diagram on the wrong side of your
base fabric lightly in pencil. On the right side of your fabric, baste
your appliqué piece along the placement diagram lines Use doubled
thread and take small stitches. Needle turn appliqué, then remove the
basting stitches.
- For larger appliqué pieces: Cut out two appliqué motifs using
templates and adding a seam allowance. Sew them right sides together,
leaving a space to turn them inside out. Press, rolling the seam to
the inside. Appliqué, using a dab of washable glue like Roxanne's
"Glue Baste it" to hold it in place.
- Embroidery. Hold the edges down with satin stitching or, for a 30's
look, ladder stitching. To avoid fraying or breaking your thread, do
not pull your stitches through with the needle. Grasp the thread just
behind the needle and pull. It also helps to work with a short thread
and start with a new thread when starting a new appliqué. If you use
a metal thimble, take care to note if you are accidentally trapping
the thread between the needle and thimble. Mettler 60 wt. cotton is
good for hand appliqué as well as 50 wt DMC cotton, with a John
James #10 needle.
A great place to find applique motifs is in a coloring
book. Have another tip to offer?
Send it me, and I will add it
here. Be sure to check Nancy
Kern's page, too.
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