Originally Posted by ckcowl
Piece of cake Quilting has tutorials- dvd's and books to teach you needle turn- Alex Anderson also has tutorials, dvd's and books-
seldom is a 1/4" turn under used- that's way too big- more like 1/8" (just enough to turn under and catch the edge of)
Piece of cake they recommend having tooth picks in your (sewing box)
they use a tooth pick to help turn the edge under and smooth curves- works great!
there are probably a number of tutorials right here on the board too- do a search- you will find lots of visual help.
start with a fairly simple design to practice. use a sharp needle that fits your hand- some people use really really small needles- others prefer a longer needle- I use straw or milner needles-i like them a bit longer.
silk threads are wonderful smooth and easy to use----some people will say-never use silk thread---i was taught by a pretty good appliquer-who recommends it-and i love it-
match the thread color to the applique- if you can not find an exact match a shade darker is a good choice.
gray's (light on light fabrics, dark on darker fabrics also work well- they tend to blend in and disappear well.
once you get the hang of it you will find yourself doing more and more of it :)
These are really good tips. I have a great teacher and she says silk thread does work and it's strong. Her thread of choice is the same as mine; Aurifil. It's thin and strong. Depending on your area though you may not be able to get a variety of colors; I'm lucky here we have one store w/a large supply; even the varigated ones. I know several people who wanted it so they go together and bought big spools on line and with thier bobbin winders they each ended up with bobbins of a variety of colors and it only cost them around a dollar each. The round tooth picks that Cracker Barrel has are great for applique; my teacher suggest keeping on end in your mouth and that way its damp and will help tame those frays. Also; Elmers school glue is great for frays and temp attaching the fabric together and it washes out. I learned a technique called back basting and it's really good especially if you want to take your projects on the road with you.