Help/ Hints

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Help/ Hints and
quite possibly useful tidbits
(Page links are at page bottom.)
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Jane@QuiltPoetry.com
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I enjoy appliqué and its extremely wide range of design potential. The technique was once used to give magical qualities to the clothing and pennants of Chinese emperors, Roman nobility, and Christian kings. Examples of appliqué have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

The secrets of appliqué are available to all quilters. There are different styles of appliqué that can be done with Quilt Poetry patterns, depending on the skill level and desire of an individual quilter. These patterns can be hand or machine appliquéd (or any combination of the two!)

Personally I choose to do raw-edge fused

machine appliqué. I use a triple straight

stitch and zig-zag blind hem stitch, and I have fun using variegated and metallic threads! (Phoenix and Mask quilts are particularly amenable to variegated threads.) The bottom line is, you can do this! Choose a technique that's right for you. It's easier than you might imagine -- but the results will look absolutely amazing.

While Quilt Poetry appliqué can be done by hand, here's my technique for using a machine. Don't forget to check your local shop for information and classes!

Below, I've used Floral Meditation as an example.

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Fused Machine Appliqué .

I enjoy doing a lot of stitching when I appliqué -- but I don't always want to turn the entire quilt around and around on my sewing machine.

To avoid lots of turns with large pieces of fabric, I find it easier to stitch smaller parts first, prior to attaching them to the background fabric.

Earlier I'd fused this small section together using fusible web. Fusing on a non-stick teflon pressing sheet lets me peel the completed unit away in one piece. ... All ready for interior stitching!

Later, you'll see how this small and easily made piece fits into the larger whole.

When I finally fuse the entire flower together, I'll only have the outer portions of the appliqué left to stitch!

I use an appliqué foot that has a completely open toe so I can see everything I'm doing.

And ... to keep from having to raise the presser foot every few stitches to pivot the piece, lower its pressure setting, if your machine allows it.

Check your machine's manual for instructions for lowering the foot pressure, and try it on a practice piece before proceeding on the project.

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This section, a flower petal, has been fused on the pressing sheet according to the pattern directions. All the interior stitching has already been completed using the technique described above.

With all the petals completed the flower can be assembled.

The pattern is under the non-stick pressing sheet, and I begin to place the petals on top.

The pattern and pressing sheet are pinned to the ironing board so that neither one moves during placement.

Another petal is placed onto the pressing sheet.

I like using a stiletto to help guide the piece accurately into position.

... Now I'm fusing three petals together on the pressing sheet.

The non-stick surface of the pressing sheet will allow the completely assembled flower head to be easily pulled off later as a single unit.

The fabric will retain its fusible, adhesive quality when removed from the pressing sheet. The entire piece will then be ready to fuse to the background fabric, using your iron.

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