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Fabric Appliqué – It’s Easier Than You Think!

It’s true! Needle-turn hand appliqué is easier than you think. It’s time for my annual tutorial on appliqué. I’ll start with a little history of appliqué and then move onto my first lesson, which covers supplies and preparation. Then there will be two more lessons in the next two weeks. I hope to de-mystify hand appliqué and create more appliqué converts! 

What is Appliqué?

It’s from the French word appliquér meaning “to apply” or “to put on”. That’s what you are doing. You are applying a fabric motif to your quilt. Appliqué has been found on quilted items dating to the 9th century! But we’re going to talk about appliqué that is a bit more current.

Appliqué in the early17th to 19th centuries in American progressed from broderie perse style quilts, which are a medallion style quilt, to Baltimore Album style block quilts, with a different appliqué design in each block.

How I Use Appliqué 

My favorite use of appliqué is to add accents to a quilt by either appliquéing on or around the blocks or framing the design. Many times when I get done piecing a quilt top, I think it looks sort of bare without appliqué. Here’s a few of my quilts where I did this:

Then there are the quilts there I have appliqué in the blocks themselves. High Prairie Blooms (left) has alternating fully appliquéd blocks. Wildflower Lane has appliqué added to pieced blocks.

Supplies 

Now it’s time to get to the supplies you need for getting started on an appliqué project. Let’s start with my favorite supplies. Other hand-appliqué instructors may have different supply preferences. Feel free to try out all of the recommendations to see what works best for you.

Needles: These are an essential tool for hand appliqué. Finding the right needle for you is important. These are my favorite brand, John James Gold ‘n Glide:

These needles come in various lengths. The higher the number, the shorter the needle. I like size 9 because I feel it’s the right length for me. Test different size needles to see which length fits you best.  I’ve also found that this brand of needle glides easier through all types of fabric, including batiks. This is something you need to consider. If you have trouble getting your needle to go through the edge of your appliqué it could be because you are not using the right needle, that will make appliqué process more frustrating.

Also, change your needle often if you appliqué a lot. Needles will bend out of shape and also become dull with usage. A good rule of thumb is to use a new needle every time you start a new project. Another piece of advice is change your needle for every 10 hours of use, which could happen if you are working on a large project.

Threads: This is actually where a lot of designers have different advice. My favorite thread to use is a 100% silk-finished cotton thread. Here’s some of the threads I use:

I recommend matching your thread color as closely as possible to the color of the appliqué piece to help hide stitches. These threads, Mettler 50wt 100% silk-finished cotton, come in a large variety of colors and is my favorite brand. Some appliquérs like to use an array of neutral threads (right) from dark to light to stitch. They use darker neutrals on darker fabrics and lighter neutrals on lighter fabrics. Try it both ways to see what result you like best.

There are also appliquérs that recommend 100% silk thread because it is finer and the stitches are easier to hide. I have found it to be too thin for my liking, but give it a try and see if you like it.

Other Tools: Here are two other items I can’t live without. Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it and Sewline brand marking pencils.

I love this glue because it replaced the pins I needed to secure my appliqué pieces. I’ve been doing hand appliqué for almost 30 years and have had many finger sticks from appliqué pins over those years.

As for the Sewline marking pencil, this is a mechanical type pencil with chalk lead. The lead comes in a variety of colors (white, pink, green, and yellow) so you can see the markings on all colors of fabric. It’s erasable and completely disappears with a bit of water on a Q-tip. The glue is also water soluble so the Q-tip trick will work to get rid of any glue residue that ends up on your background fabric.

Good Lighting: Finally, good lighting is essential when you are doing hand appliqué. If you want to keep your stitches as small as possible so they are almost invisible, you need to have good light to see and, in some cases, a magnifier on that light. Here’s my desk top light:

I also have a floor lamp by my TV chair if I decide to stitch while watching TV. That one also has a magnifier.

Other items like scissors (both for fabric and paper), for working with templates and appliqué pieces, and rulers, for positioning the pieces of your appliqué motif, come in handy.

Preparation

Now it’s time for the preparation which refers to the templates, using the templates and preparing the fabric appliqués for stitching. 

Templates: The first thing to learn about when beginning to appliqué is the templates: what they are and how to work with them. Templates are what you use to create the individual pieces of an appliqué motif.

I recommend copying the pages onto card stock and cutting out the templates to make them sturdier. That’s what I did with the templates on the right, below. I you don’t have a way to copy them directly to card stock, you can glue the paper page to a piece of card stock and then cut out the shapes.

This makes the templates more sturdy so when you are tracing the shapes onto the fabric, the templates don’t lose their shape from repeated use. You can also store the reusable templates in the pattern bag with the pattern for when you want to make the project again.

Tracing onto Fabric: The next step is to trace your shapes onto the fabric designated for the appliqué piece, using the templates. For needle-turn appliqué, the templates are traced on the right side of the fabric. Most templates in patterns are ready to use at 100%, as they are in all my patterns, but be sure to check the templates if you are using another designer’s appliqué pattern to see if there is anything you need to do before using their templates.

Some patterns will tell you to also trace a template “reversed” which just means to flip it over and trace some that way. This usually happens with non-symmetrical shapes or shapes that are used both ways.

My example below shows the method I use. Trace around the template and leave at least 1/2″ between tracings if you are tracing several of the same shape on the same piece of fabric. For needle-turn appliqué, you need this space to cut out the shapes with enough fabric to turn under while stitching, as opposed to machine appliqué techniques that require no seam allowance for turn-under.

Preparing the Appliqué for Stitching: Next step after tracing is to cut out the shapes and prepare them for stitching to the quilt block or top.

Cut the shapes out a scant 1/4″ outside the drawn line. This creates the seam allowance that is turned under when stitching. Then, use your scissors to make clips into the seam allowance up to, but not over, the drawn line (last photo). 

The clips in the seam allowance make it easier to turn under the seam in sections to help keep the original shape of the appliqué piece. The curvier an area of the appliqué piece, the closer together your clips should be and there should be more clips than you would have on a straight side.

Now you are ready to pull out that appliqué pattern that’s in your stash and get started. Next week we will cover motif layout among other things.

Meanwhile, here’s a mini video tutorial covering the topics in this week’s post.

Leave a comment or ask a question in the comment section below and be entered into a drawing for my pattern, High Prairie Blooms.

The drawing will be the Monday after the appliqué series ends, August 4th, so you have 3 weeks to enter. ***We have a winner! Congrats, Lynn Telke!***

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Fabric Appliqué – It’s Really Not Hard!

Hi Readers! If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know one of the things I like to do is needle-turn hand appliqué. Early on when I began designing quilts, I would always feel like something was missing until I added an appliqué motif. At times I have to force myself to design a pieced only quilt, because I know not everyone is as passionate about appliqué as I am.

My aim in talking about appliqué in the upcoming blog posts and teaching people this technique is to dispel the myth that it’s difficult. I hope with my tips and advice, you decide to try it if appliqué has been a stumbling block for you in the past.

Here’s some of the things you can create!

These are beautiful pieced quilts on their own, but I think the appliqué adds even more beauty!

I do all my appliqué by hand however, you can do appliqué by machine! I do not do or teach the machine appliqué technique very well so I am not your resource for that. If you are interested in the machine appliqué technique, do a Google search and you will find many designers that specialize in this type of appliqué.

Supplies and Preparation

This post will familiarize you with the supplies I recommend and the prep work that you need to do when doing hand appliqué. This is only what I recommend. There will be other appliqué teachers recommending different supplies and tips. I say, try them all and see what works best for you. 

Needles: These are an essential tool for hand appliqué. Finding the right needle for you is important. These are my favorite brand, John James Gold ‘n Glide:

These needles come in various lengths. The higher the number, the shorter the needle. I like size 9 because I feel it’s the right length for me. I recommend you test different size needles to see which length fits you best.  I’ve also found that this brand of needle glides easier through all types of fabric, including batiks. This is something you need to consider. If you have trouble getting your needle to go through the edge of your appliqué because you are not using a good needle, that will make appliqué more frustrating.

Also, change your needle often if you appliqué a lot. Needles will bend out of shape and also become dull with usage. A good rule of thumb is to use a new needle every time you start a new project. Another piece of advice is change your needle for every 10 hours of use, which could happen if you are working on a large project.

Threads: This is actually where a lot of designers have different advice. My favorite thread to use is a 100% cotton thread. Here’s some of the threads I use:

I like Mettler brand 50 wt, 100% cotton with a silk finish. The silk finish helps it to glide through the fabric easier and there are a lot of different colors if you like to match your thread to the appliqué piece color. We’ll talk about color matching in a later post.

Other Tools: Here are two other items I can’t live without. Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it and Sewline brand marking pencils.

I was so happy when this glue came on the market! It replaced the pins I needed to secure my appliqué pieces. I’ve been doing hand appliqué for almost 30 years and have had many finger sticks from appliqué pins over those years. As for the Sewline marking pencil, this is a mechanical type pencil with chalk lead. The lead comes in a variety of colors (white, pink, green, and yellow) so the marking shows up on all colors of fabric. It’s erasable and completely disappears with a bit of water on a Q-tip.

Good Lighting: Finally, good lighting is essential when you are doing hand appliqué. If you want to keep your stitches as small as possible so they are almost invisible, you need to have good light to see and, in some cases, a magnifier on that light. I have a desk top light and a floor light, for when I am sewing in my TV chair.

Other items like scissors (both for fabric and paper) for working with templates and appliqué pieces and rulers for positioning appliqués come in handy.

Let’s Begin!

Templates: Time to move onto the first steps when beginning to appliqué. Most patterns will have their templates printed right on the pattern pages (left). I recommend copying those pages onto card stock and cutting out the templates to make them sturdier.

It’s a good idea to make these templates more sturdy so when you are tracing the shapes onto the fabric, the templates don’t lose their shape from repeated use.

Tracing: The next step is to trace your shapes onto the fabric for the appliqué piece, using the templates. For needle-turn appliqué, the templates are traced on the right side of the fabric. Templates are usually ready to use as is from the pattern, however, some patterns will tell you to also trace a template “reversed” which just means to flip it over and trace some that way. This usually happens with non-symmetrical shapes. 

My example below shows the method I use. Trace around the template and leave at least 1/4″ between tracings if you are tracing several shapes on a piece of fabric. For needle-turn appliqué, you need this space to cut out the shapes with enough fabric to turn under while stitching, as opposed to machine appliqué technique with no seam turn-under.

Preparing the Appliqué for Stitching: Next step after tracing is to cut out the shapes and prepare them for stitching to the quilt top. Cut the shapes out about 1/8″ outside the drawn line. This creates the seam allowance that is turned under when stitching. Then, you will use your scissors to clip into the seam allowance up to, but not over, the drawn line (last two photos). 

The clips in the seam allowance make it easier to turn under the seam and keep the original shape of the appliqué piece. The curvier an area of the appliqué piece, the closer your clips should be and there should be more clips than you would have on a straight side of an appliqué piece.

So, this is it for this week. Below, I have a link to part 1 of my appliqué mini video tutorial series that covers the things I talked about today.

Next week, I will give you tips on laying out the motif and stitching.

I’m also giving away a prize package at the end of this series for those of you who comment and/or ask questions each week. I will have a drawing a week after the last installment on 1/9/23. You will get a pattern, a pack of appliqué needles, glue and a small scissors set!

The drawing will be on Monday, January 9, 2023. **We have a winner. Congrats, Debbie Toth!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Loving Needle-turn Hand Appliqué

Yes! You really can love needle-turn hand appliqué! If you have followed me for any period of time, you know I have been doing hand appliqué for years and I love to teach others how to do it. Once you know the right tools to use and get the hang of it, you’ll love it too.

I’m going to go through the appliqué steps in a 3 part series here on my blog posts this week, next week and the week of 9/27. Among all of you who comment and ask questions, there will be a drawing for a hand appliqué gift package! You will get my pattern, Wildflower Lane, a pack of my favorite appliqué needles, Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it and my favorite small scissors. That drawing will be on Monday, October 4th so you have time to comment and enter the drawing. 

So, let’s get started on the basics of needle-turn hand appliqué!

My Recommendations for Supplies

Beginning any project requires having the right supplies. I have my favorites that I will share with you here. You may eventually find other supplies you like better once you start appliquéing, so these are merely suggestions. If you are already doing hand appliqué and have an item you use that you’d like to share, feel free in the comments below.

These needles come in various lengths. The higher the number, the shorter the needle. I like size 9 because I feel it’s the right length for me. I recommend you test different size needles to see which length fits you best.

  • The right threads: I recommend 100% cotton threads for stitching your appliqué templates. I like Mettler brand 50 wt, 100% cotton with a silk finish. It comes in a lot of different colors if you like to match your thread to the appliqué piece color.

I’ll talk more about thread matching when we get to the stitching portion of this appliqué series.

  • Good Lighting: I think good lighting is one of the essential supplies. If you want to keep your stitches as small as possible so they are almost invisible, you need to have good light to see and, in some cases, a magnifier on that light. Here’s my desk top version I use:

You can use the magnifier or not. See the difference on the right? I can see my stitches close up and make them tinier than if I wasn’t using a magnifier. I also have a floor style so I can stitch while watching TV:

I need to be able to sew anywhere in the house!

  • Other Tools: Here’s a few other things I keep on hand. The first is Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it. This was a great invention for we hand stitchers. No more pins to stick my fingers! Also, I like the Sewline brand mechanical pencil for tracing around templates onto fabric. The chalk “leads” come in white, green, pink and yellow so there’s a color available that will show up on any color fabric.

Other items like scissors (both for fabric and paper) for working with templates and appliqué pieces and rulers for positioning appliqués come in handy.

First Steps

Templates: So now it’s time to move onto the first steps when beginning to appliqué. Most patterns will have their templates printed right on the pattern pages (left). I recommend copying those pages onto card stock and cutting out the templates so you have a sturdier templates to trace around.

Tracing: Now it’s time to trace your shapes onto the fabric for the appliqué piece. For the type of fabric appliqué I do, the templates are traced on the right side of the fabric. If you use a technique where you trace it on the wrong side and fold your seams prior to stitching, be aware of non-symmetrical templates. If you are tracing on the wrong side of the fabric, you will need to reverse a non-symmetrical template so it will face the correct direction when you are stitching it to the quilt top.

My example below shows the method I use. Trace around the template and leave at least 1/4″ between tracings if you are tracing several shapes on a piece of fabric. For needle-turn appliqué, you need this space to cut out the shapes with enough fabric to turn under while stitching (if you are doing a machine appliqué technique with no turn-under, no need for this space).

Prepare the Appliqué for Stitching: Next step after tracing is to cut out the shapes and prepare them for stitching to the quilt top. Cut the shapes out about 1/8″ outside the drawn line. This will be the seam portion that you turn under. Then, you will use your scissors to clip into the seam allowance up to, but not over, the drawn line (last two photos). 

The clips in the seam allowance make it easier to turn under the seam and keep the original shape of the appliqué piece. The curvier an area of the appliqué piece, the closer your clips should be and there should be more than you would have on a straight side of the appliqué piece.

So, this is it for this week. Below, I have a link to part 1 of my appliqué mini video tutorial series that covers the things I talked about today.

Come back next week for the the 2nd installment in this series. We’ll talk about laying out the design on the background and learn the appliqué stitch I use.

Here’s the prize package that you are eligible for (below). Like I said at the start of this post, comment or ask any questions you might have and you are automatically entered into the drawing for this prize package. 

The drawing will be on Monday, October 4th. See you next week!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Time to Appliqué – Final Installment

Welcome back! This is the final installment of my appliqué series. If you’re just finding me, here is part 1 and part 2. I hope you have enjoyed my mini tutorial on needle-turn appliqué and I hope it inspires you to try it if you haven’t already! This week, I will finish up with a tutorial on making stems and also how to stitch points and inside corners. Let’s get started!

Making Stems

Many, many appliqué projects have floral motifs that include stems. Some patterns have straight stems (left) and some have curved (right). 

You can just cut straight strips and follow the instructions below to make stems if your project only has straight stems. But, if your project has curved stems you will need to make them from bias cut strips to make the stems more pliable. If I have a project that has both curved and straight stems, I just cut all my strips on the bias to save time.

Step 1: Cutting the bias strips. First, lay out your chosen stem fabric on your cutting mat as shown and align the 45° line of your long (24″) ruler with the bottom of the fabric (the arrow in the photo is pointing to the 45° line):

Now, using the rotary cutter, make your first cut. Then measure and cut out the amount of strips you need. If you need stems longer than the strips produced, you may have to stitch a few strips together before preparing them into stems.

Cut your strips 1/2″ wider than your desired stem width. For example, if you want 1/4″ stems, cut your strips 3/4″ wide.

Step 2: Making the Stems from Strips. To prepare the strips into stems, you have to fold in the strip on both long sides. You can do this by hand, but I prefer to use a bias making tool: 

To use the tool, you slide one end of the strip into the wider end and pull it out the other end. As you are pulling it out, iron the strip to get the sides to stay folded over.

Here’s your stem!

  • Optional tip: If I am making several stems for a project, I like to use a few dots of Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it to keep the sides folded over.

Unless the stems are on top of any part of the applique motif, it’s best to position them on the background and get them stitched in place first before adding any more of the design onto the background. 

Below is my video tutorial on making stems.

Stitching Points and Inside Corners

When I am teaching an appliqué class, this is the trouble spot for most beginners. How do you stitch appliqué pieces with points or inside corners… or both? Since it’s not very simple to explain it in just words, I have this mini tutorial video to demonstrate stitching points and inside corners. Hopefully, this video will help you with this.

So, that’s it for this week! This is the end of the series. Next Monday, November 9th, I will choose 3 commenters over this whole series who will get my pattern Scrappy Gardens:

….and, there will be one grand prize winner who will receive my appliqué starter kit that includes needles, Roxanne’s glue and a Sewline pencil!

Leave your comment or question below to enter the drawing. You can comment on all three blogs and get 3 entries! Like I said above, the drawing will be on Monday, November 9th. ***We have a grand prize winner! Congrats, Kathy in WV. Also congrats to pattern winners: Janet, Edith and Christie***

Happy Quilting & Stitching!
Deanne

Time to Applique – Needle Turn Applique

It’s been a while since I have done a needle-turn hand applique tutorial, so I decided now is the time to do one. This will be a series over the next 3 weeks and, to give you an incentive to read, there will be drawings for some hand applique supplies and patterns at the end. And … there won’t be only one winner! 

Before I get started, I wanted to remind you that it is still Breast Cancer Awareness month and the #SewPINK Initiative continues. Click here for my contribution: By Annie #SewPINK Initiative: Hope & Love. You can still enter my drawing there for two of my SewPINK patterns and a 30% off code for one of my many kits! Here’s this year’s project:

Recommended Applique Supplies

So, let’s get started on the topic of needle turn hand applique. Many quilters are wary of applique because they think it’s too hard. Believe me when I say, it’s not! Here are some supplies that I think are the most important.

  • The right needle. I like the John James applique needle in a size 9.

The higher the size number, the shorter the needle. I have found this to be the right size for me. Test out needles sizes to find the best for you. These needles are also the best for any type of fabric, including Batiks.

We’ll get into thread matching when it’s time to stitch, but it’s good to choose a thread that gives you options.

  • Good lighting. It’s really important to work in good light when doing hand applique. You want to be able to see your work and to make sure you are hiding your stitches. Obviously if you are working in low light, you will not accomplish this. I use a light like this:

I can sit with my sewing beneath the light and look through the magnifying side to make my stitches literally disappear when not under magnification! Now, you do not have to use a magnifier if you don’t want to, but good lighting is a must.

  • Other tools. A few other tools I keep on hand are Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it, which takes the place of pins (no more poking fingers while stitching!), Sewline mechanical chalk pencil for tracing template shapes onto fabric and a good clipping scissors just for fabric. The Sewline pencil comes with leads in white, yellow, green and pink so you will have a line that shows on all different fabric colors.

First Steps

Templates: So now that we have our supplies, let’s get started. Patterns for applique projects will have a template page or pages:

I recommend that you either copy this page onto a piece of card stock, or glue a copy of this page to card stock and then cut out the templates. That will make the template more sturdy for tracing, especially if you have to use it a lot of times. Here are some applique pieces:

If your applique shape is symmetrical, you will not have to worry about reversing it to trace onto the fabric. If it is not symmetrical you will have to reverse it for tracing so the applique piece faces in the correct direction when you stitch it. Most patterns will let you know if you have to reverse a template.

Tracing: Now, it’s time to trace. Use the Sewline pencil or a similar marking device to trace your shapes onto the RIGHT side of the fabric. The line created by your tracing is used as a guide when stitching later. If you are tracing several times onto the same piece of fabric, be sure to leave at least 1/4″ between tracings to allow for a turn-under seam allowance (you do not have to do this if you are doing machine applique).

Preparing for Stitching: Now, you need to cut out the shapes from the piece of fabric as shown. Then clip in the seam allowance which will help you to turn under the seam allowance for stitching.

That’s it for this week’s lesson. Once you have all your shapes traced, cut out and clipped…. it’s time for stitching. Come back next week and we’ll cover that! In the meantime, leave me your comments or questions below and be entered in a drawing for one of my favorite patterns: Scrappy Gardens. There will be 3 winners! 

This pattern is simple enough for those beginning applique. I will also have a grand prize winner at the end of the series who will receive the pattern along with an applique “starter kit” which will include needles, Roxanne’s glue and a Sewline pencil!

All the drawings will take place on Monday, November 9th. So you have plenty of time to enter! Until next week…. ***We have a grand prize winner! Congrats, Kathy in WV. Also congrats to pattern winners: Janet, Edith and Christie***

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Needle-turn Applique Tips

Hi! I thought it would be a good time to share some of my needle-turn hand applique tips. Needle-turn applique is one of my favorite techniques since I learned it when I was a new quilter. I’ve been practicing for over 25 years and have some tried and true tips that have always served me well. I know many people are afraid of that “A” word. No need to be! These tips will be shared in a series of posts. This one today is focused on the notions and tools.

Tip#1

One of the tips that I think is very important is to have very good lighting. If you can’t see what you’re working on, you won’t be able to make small, disappearing stitches.

This is a really good light with a magnifier on top. It sits on a desk top so it’s easy for you to put your work under the light to use the magnifier if you choose.

Tip #2

Now it’s time to choose your needle and thread. I recommend applique needles over straw needles but you can use either. Applique needles are also referred to as sharps. The size of the needle you use is personal preference. I use John James Golden Glide size 9:

I like these Golden Glide needles because they stitch just as well on cottons and batiks. As the size number goes up, the length of the needle is shorter. Choose the needle length that is most comfortable for you.

The thread I use is a silk-finished 100% 50wt cotton thread. Mettler is one brand I have used often.  It comes in a variety of colors. If you match the color of the thread to your applique, it helps to hide your stitches better. If your applique piece is multicolored, choose a neutral color. Some stitchers use all neutral colors in different shades from dark to light depending on the color of the applique piece.

Tip #3

Use a good applique glue to help affix your applique motif to your background fabric. This eliminates the need for pins. I like using Roxanne’s Glue Baste-it:

I was so happy when I was introduced to this glue. No more pins poking me while I try to stitch!

Tip #4

You will need a pencil to trace around templates onto your chosen fabric. a good pencil is Sewline.

This is a mechanical style pencil that uses chalk instead of pencil lead. 

To go along with the pencil, I recommend reinforcing your applique templates for tracing. I like to copy them from the pattern directly onto card stock. If you can’t copy them, trace them onto regular paper, cut them out and glue them to card stock. 

By reinforcing the templates, it makes it easier to keep the shape of the motif as you trace around it. Also, you can use the templates over an over! Make sure to have a scissors just for paper when working with applique templates.

Final Tip for This Week:

I like to have several needles loaded with the different color threads I will be using so I don’t have to stop and thread a needle every time I switch colors.

I have a small tin where I keep all my threads for the project I am working on. On the cover I have applied a magnet. I thread my needles with the different colors and put them there for easy access. This tin is also great if I want to take my stitching project on the road.

So, that’s all for now. Leave me a comment below on your thoughts on applique. In the coming few weeks, I’ll go over technique and share a few applique videos.

If you comment, I will enter you into a drawing to win this fun applique lap quilt, High Prairie Blooms:

The drawing will be Friday, October 4th after the applique series is done. ***We have a winner! Congrats, Ariel K.!***

Happy Stitching!
Deanne