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
These tips and tutorials are so helpful! I love applique, but stems are tricky for me because of their small size. I think I need to get me a bias tool.
Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help us. You make it look easy!!
Just wanted to say Hi – although I’ve done a lot of hand applique, I still read your series with interest and enjoyed it a lot….your posts have been great!! Thank you 🙂
Thanks for the tutorials! Thanks for reminding me how much to add when using the bias making tool. I had forgotten I had the tool & had been doing it the “hot fingers” version. Now my fingers can get cooled off. Thanks!
Thanks for the tips, those star points always give me trouble!!
Thank you Deanne for sharing your beautiful work and great tutorials. You have inspired me to sew again. I bought your magic night cat pattern but haven’t made it yet. I do hope to have it ready for next year and hang it in my living room..after the room has been painted…lots of room painting to do here. I wish I wasn’t allergic to wool but I would like to buy some of your patterns in the future and try making them with other fabrics. Thank you so much! ..and your sweet helper Addie.
As always you are such an inspiration.
Since applique is my favorite part of quilting, I thoroughly enjoyed your tutorial on needleturn applique. I have always used bias bars for making my stems, which involves sewing the strip together first (creating a seam which gets pressed to the back). I’ve had the bias tool for years and have never once used it, thinking it was too cumbersom to fiddle with. Seeing you use it, I’m going to give this a try instead. I’ve never been quite happy with the thickness of the stem due to the bulk of the seam. Even after quilting for over 50 years, it’s never too late to learn and try something new! Thanks for your clear and inspiring tutorials, and (most of all) for encouraging the art of applique. Hopefully, others will try hand applique and discover the calm and peacefulness of hand work, and how soothing to the soul it is.
Thanks for all the helpful hints and tips. I can’t wait to get started on my projects!
Thank you for being precise and not wordy in your instructions, I quit following another person because she liked to hear herself talk.
Thank you for these tutorials…they’ve taken some of the stress out of needle-turn applique. I feel a bit more comfortable about starting some of the kits I’ve purchased….AFTER I’ve practiced a bit. I love your patterns. I’ve saved the 2019 and 2020 BOMs…they are just wonderful…very beautiful. Wool applique with a blanket stitch is much less scarier than needle-turn applique. Blessings from West Virginia.
I love wool appliqué… and you have some of the cutest patterns! Thank you for sharing your creativity thru patterns & videos!
Thanks again, for sharing all your tips and tricks on applique. They have all been very helpful. HUGS… and stitches
Thank you for the videos. I’ve only sewed straight stems, stayed away from bias. I have a bias making tool somewhere, will try using. I need to start another project.
My computer froze, hope comment doesn’t post twice.
Thank you for you helpful instructions for doing points. I have always had trouble when doing them. Thank you for the new found confidence!
Thanks for all the great info! I have been excited to learn , but nervous because I thought it looked way more complicated than it really is. I will definitely be coming back to these lessons when I begin my own appliqué project.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!! I received the prize package and it was even better than I expected! Thank you for everything and please believe I WILL put these goodies to good use. I’m rewatching the videos and re-reading the blog posts. It’s been a while since I’ve been so excited to try something new (to me) in quilting/sewing! Thank you again. You are very generous with your knowledge and patterns and please know it is appreciated! Blessings!!!