I was asked about making sharp points in applique. I've actually picked up pointers from many different persons and sources. I have learned personally from Rita Verroca and Margarete Heinisch, friends and awesome hand quilters. My Mom taught me so much when I was growing up as well. I have also learned from videos by Karen Kay Buckley and Liuxin Newman. If you have a chance to find or watch any of these women, do. I searched online for some free videos. There is a needleturn youtube video by Gay Bomers of 'Sentimental Stitches' that appears to be good but I have not had a chance to watch [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IklE59k6giU]. I did look at this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aky_kXDrAEg on applique points. It is quite good and very short. I use a similar method although I do not 'pre-prepare' all my applique pieces. I did do this once, but got lazy! The pieces in this video appear to be starched - I dont starch my applique pieces [I have - but again..lazy!!] I usually transfer pattern both the the piece being appliqued and the background. I then crease the applique piece with my fingernails - kind of carefully, because you dont want to stretch the piece. [I will try to remember to take some in progress pictures tonight when I put another corner together.] This is the order I work in...
1. transfer pattern to applique piece and background
2. trim applique piece within 1/4" from design
3. crease design onto marking line with fingernails [if you make a template either with template plastic or copy onto freezer paper and iron another piece of freezer paper onto the pattern one before cutting out the paper template - you will have a hard edge that you can fold the fabric over with the edge of your fingernail to make a sharper crease]
4. position the applique piece to the background and 'weave' it in place with at least one pin...what I mean is I use just one longish straight pin usually
5. using your needle or you finger, make sure you have about an inch of where you first slip your needle into the seamline that is pressed into place. you can place a pin here - you just want to keep the line/crease in your applique piece aligned with the pattern on your background.
6. When I get to a point I do this....
a) take a few stitches closer together - usually one directly at the tip of the point and bring my needle back a few threads, take another stitch, put it into the fabric to anchor it momentarily
b) carefully pick up the part of the 'leaf', etc I have sewn down and clip the seam allowance back near the point I have sewn to reduce bulk.
c) ...this part takes practice.... remove your sewing needle and sweep the point that is left of loose fabric under the applique piece toward the sewn seam with the tip of your needle
d) keep doing this a few strokes until the fabric is nicely 'buried' and as flat as possible. If it isn't flat, you may have left too much fabric in your seamline or in the part that you are sweeping - you don't need a full 1/4"
e) when you are happy with the result - and while pinching just below the corner to submission on the unsewn side, take your needle [which should be a few threads from the corner you have stitched into already] take another stitch - exactly in the corner point... if you have the exact color thread, you can even take a tack a short thread or two up from the corner point.
f) continue down the other side.

now ... another tip - you should check your point a few stitches after you make the point. If you want it sharper, go back to it and pinch the point together, first with your fingers, then by running a stitch back and forth through the point from side to side....just a couple of times.

Hope this all helps!
Gus

Gus you are great, I will go back tomorrow when I'm fresh and try again. Thank you! :)

OK.. so I'm working on the next corner of J-10 and took a few pictures and will pass along a couple of tutes...
First - I have to say I took them with one hand while holding the fabric, needle, etc with the other so I apologize for the lack of focus on a couple of them. Had I known or paid better attention, I would have taken a couple of others because unfortunately the two out of focus are right where I did the point :(

I thought I would show a set of three pics demonstrating how I 'audition' fabrics.
1) I cut a template for my applique piece and use both the 'window' left behind and the actual template itself. First I use the window to decide what part of the fabric looks right for the spot.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]402908[/ATTACH]2) next I put the actual template into the window.[ATTACH=CONFIG]402909[/ATTACH]3) why? you think. because when you mark in the window you get a piece that is slightly too small if your applique piece is large this wont matter much but with tiny pieces it will. [ATTACH=CONFIG]402910[/ATTACH]

now for the needle turn tute showing a point... you can refer to my post #2191 a couple of posts ago for the written instructions - I'd go back to read it and then look at these pics...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]402911[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]402912[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]402913[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]402914[/ATTACH]I put the needle exactly in the point... but sorry it is a little unclear! [ATTACH=CONFIG]402915[/ATTACH]again it's a little unclear, but I wanted to show you how I pull the top melon over and clip closer to the seam to reduce bulk.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]402916[/ATTACH]I was trying to show the needle 'sweeping' the seam above the marked point under the applique piece and as flat as possible towards the seam that has already been sewn. [ATTACH=CONFIG]402917[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]402918[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]402919[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]402920[/ATTACH]When I enlarge these pics it seems as though the point isn't as pointy as it really is. In the picture before the last one you can see how I sometimes come back to the point and take an extra stitch to accentuate the point some more.
Gus
[I think this block is gonna take all week!!]

I should clean my thumb nail before taking these pics! on the top picture you can see I finger creased the entire melon before pinning it down. In the second picture it almost looks like the left side is not creased but it is and since it is pre creased it is easier to get the right curve by the time you are ready to put that side down.

something to share...
just came across an old post of mine from two years back referring to a great tutorial on paper piecing in case anyone is interested...

http://dquilts.blogspot.com/2007/04/...per-piece.html

Gus

gus, i'm always having to bleach my hands/nails. made blueberry pancakes for the grdsn before i sent him to pre school. they were frozen, so i thawed them in some water, and used my fingers to dip them out with. had to use bleach before i took him in. etc. shows you are a busy gal.

tried the board roll up method of putting my jane2 in the frame. unpinned her, and layed her in the middle of the floor. will pin her all together on the table, then put her in the hand frame. yes, i know, lots of extra, but i am sooo used to that method.

so, i have had my jane2 sandwiched like 3 different times, and don't like the batting. did it wil 80/20 low loft. then w and N , now i have a low loft batting, which i had all ready tried one other time today. and then i remembered once i rolled it on the frame, i wasn't happy with the thickness, etc.
am i remembering wrong, or wasn't it a 'non loft polyester batting' i used on jane1?
what are some batting for hand quilting . i looked at the silk batting on line. is it going to be super thin, and roll up nice on my frame?

sewNso, i bought a sample of silk batting at a quilt show years ago. IMHO it's like 'they' say it is, it quilts like butter. It is pretty thin, but I couldn't say how it will roll up on the frame as I only have a small piece (about 15" square). I'm going to use it on a Tennessee Waltz quilt that has some batiks and hand dyed fabrics in it.

My favorite batting that I use all the time is Fairfield's Softtouch. I have a hard time finding it in stores and have started ordering it on-line. I can't remember if they have different lofts or if the Softouch is just the one type. I don't hear a lot of people talking about it but for some reason I like it better than all the other popular batts. Create for Less is where I found it on-line.

Tuscany silk batting is pretty expensive I found it at fabricdepot.com online for a bit less than elsewhere...
http://www.fabricdepot.com/index.php...&pageid=121533

Cindy - I've never heard of Fairfield's Softtouch - use it for handquilting??

Gotta take doggy for walk [I may call you Cindy...]
Gus