Originally Posted by
Bbemerald
Wow! Love all of your blocks. I've been nervous about trying the needle turn too. What sites do you recommend & what method did you finally decide on?
I looked at so many videos I think I ended up cross eyed LOL but this way works for me.
What I do is trace the design on to freezer paper, then iron my traced copy to another piece of freezer paper so that I have 2 layers.
I then cut out all my pieces and iron them on to the wrong side of my fabric ( I use batiks so there is not really a wrong side LOL). I then cut out my pieces leaving around 1/4" all round (usually a little smaller), then using a small paint brush dipped in a starch and water solution, I put the starch on my seam allowance, with a mini iron I iron my seam allowance down using the freezer paper as my guide. As the fabric is wet, it goes aound curves really well, I clip my inside curves so they sit better. I then peel off my freezer paper and stitch down using silk thread.
There is a video that traces the pieces onto template plastic but I found it moved too much when I was trying to iron around the shapes, the freezer paper sticks to your fabric so it doesn't move. If it gets a bit soggy with the starch and folds in a bit I just use the little clover iron to press it back into shape and try again. I also use just the tiniest amout of Elmers school glue on the inside cut of those little comma shapes just to help hold those stray threads as you don't have a seam allowance to fold under.
I hope this helps, let me know if you need any other info and I will do my best, I'm still learning as I go.