dray965

I have a quilt I am making for my granddaughter's upcoming (May) Bridal Shower. It is mostly white with applique.

I am about to cut the applique pieces and planned to attach it to the quilt via the needleturn technique. But my friend assures me that it would be so much easier (this is a queen size quilt) to do it with raw-edge applique (fused, of course) and stitched using the machine blanket stitch with invisible thread.

I would like to do it that way because needle turn is so tedious to me, but I fear that at some point my granddaughter might need to wash this quilt and the raw-edge applique will show raveling at the edges.

My friend says it won't that the blanket stitch will keep it from doing that...that the stitch seals the edges. That makes no sense to me since the blanket stitch has about 2-3 stitches that are on the quilt top before it take a stitch into the raw-edged applique.

Is my friend right? I need to hear from those of you who have done this technique and actually washed the quilt. How did it turn out?

I sure hope my friend is right, because I dread the needle turn. I did it once and didn't enjoy it. However, I'd be willing to if necessary.

TIA,
Dray

dakotamaid

Maybe this would be a solution. Than blanket stitch.

http://www.fonsandporter.com/content...wingFusApp.pdf

Tartan

Batiks have very little fraying with a blanket stitch edge. Cottons have a bit more fraying. How about satin stitching the appliqués down with a thread that matches the background? I use a stabilizer behind the background fabric when doing satin stitch to prevent tunneling.
How intricate are the appliqués? Can you do kind of an paint splotch background shape and use the dryer sheet or light inner facing method for them? You sew around the appliqué right side down to the light weight dryer sheet, cut a slit in the sheet and turn the appliqué right side out and it is ready to stitch down.

dray965

oh no...I love the dryer sheet idea but I don't use them. Do you think wedding tulle would do instead? I have some of that and it's very light.

dray965

Tammy, I went to your website and was blown away with how talented you are. Beautiful work.

sewmany

Have you heard of the freezer paper method. You cut the pattern 1/8"smaller than the pattern. Iron on the wrong side of fabric with iron ( best with applique iron) you iron edge over, remove iron, place small amount of elmers shool glue. Tah tah the edge is turned over and all you have to do is sew it own.

Jackie Spencer

You can also use feather weight fusible interfacing instead of dryer sheets. I get it at JoAnn's. Not expensive at all.

Scissor Queen

The fusible will keep the edges from fraying very much. My machine makes one stitch between the sideways stitches and I sew right on the edge of the applique. If your machine is taking more than one stitch between the sideways stitches then it's not the blanket stitch.

Quiltngolfer

I like the Eleanor Burns method. She sews the appliqué piece to interfacing then turns it through a slit in the back. It has nice body and lifts the appliqué slightly. No fraying because all seams are enclosed.

charsuewilson

I don't like the raw edge applique with fusible, because the fused pieces get hard and inflexible. I much prefer sewing the pieces to interfacing and turning. If you use 1 side fusible interfacing, be sure the fusible side is facing the right side of the fabric when you sew them together (do not iron at this point). Turn and remove the center of the interfacing, then attach to the quilt.

I've never used the dryer sheets for this because I've never used them in the dryer (I'm allergic to all brands I've seen).