mac

I would have to ask first 'have you ever hand appliqued before?" If not, I would suggest Mimi Dietrich for your first teacher doing Baltimore Album applique. Her patterns are simpler and easier to learn from. Ellie's books are wonderful, but I wouldn't suggest them for the first-timer. They more in the 'advanced' applique range.

When I wanted to learn applique, I started by taking a Baltimore Album course. I hated it. I really struggled and my blocks looked like awful in comparison to everyone else's. I stopped appliqueing when I finished the course.

A few years later when a friend blackmailed me into taking a course to make the quilt, "Snow Days," I found it much easier. No sharp corners, no circles to make perfectly, nothing that had to be to concise. The quilt came out beautifully. I tried Baltimore blocks again, and they came out looking really nice.

The moral of the story is that if you start with advanced-type blocks, you may become very frustrated and not want to continue on. If you start with beginners blocks you can step up to Baltimore and really enjoy it. Mimi has a books with Baltimore blocks that you can do that aren't as fussy as Ellie's.