HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to all you AOTH quilters.

To answer the question, I do hold the applique in my left hand, no hoop. I think if you tried to do it in a hoop, you would have to stab stitch, and I don't do that. To me, it would be much harder to control.
As it is, my left thumb holds everything in place while I get the stitches in with my right hand. I take a tiny bite with the needle into the edge of the applique shape (only a couple of threads, then my needle goes back down through background directly opposite where it came out of the app shape, and tucked under it a little bit, so the minimum shows.
I did my samples (page 26/27) in a contrasting thread so you could see them, but in a matching thread, they wouldn't be that easy to see.

Thanks for the info. I think I'll use about a dozen Color catchers!! J/K...but I will use several! I used some with a red shirt once and ended up with pink undies ya' know... I usually throw mine in the dryer...does hanging it stretch it any?

Lesley, I do the applique and embroidery just like you do...only I'm not that good with the turning under, especially on points. I do think that I'll go take a hand applique class that my LQS is having early next month. If I don't learn anything new...well, at least its several hours spent in the LQS..right?? :wink: I'll have to make sure I can get away...

Well, sitting for a few hours in a LQS is going to be a real trial, isnt it? LOL. (well I suppose it would be if you didn't have any money)

As for getting the points tidy, sometimes it's easier to turn under too much, and then pull some back with the point of the needle until its level with your line you are working to.

I have cut out the fabric to make No. 10. There is some reverse applique, which looks really bad in the book, I am not usually this derogatary about anyones work but it is really squiffy. I think probably because it has very fine cutting lines and its not easy to do so rather than make a complete hooch of it I will try out something else.....no don´t ask what yet have no idea.

Elle

This has me a tad bit worried. If you think it's not easy, I'll probably find it impossible. I need to find out what reverse applique is.

I have done that one, and took quite a few pics - if you want me to post them I will, but I feel that I shouldn't because I don't want you to all think I am pushing you to start too early and before our appointed start time.

Hmmm... a little concerned. Currently I do hoop for things I am embroidering and do mostly stab stitching in order to protect the joints in the base of my thumbs, arthritis ya know (comes with age for some of us). I will have to try some sample blocks before June. I do have an embroidery machine so I could change styles if need be.

Leslie, there seems to be plenty to do in order to get prepped to work on this so IMHO you are not encouraging us to begin early but rather helping us to consider the myriad of choices that are entailed in this project. Thanks. I, for one, really appreciate your heads up help. :-D

PS: Lesley, you have been sew patient with me mispelling your name every single time I write it in a post. LindaAnn

Yes please Lesley, I am the same as LindaAnn there is a lot of prep work on this quilt.

Ducky please don
t think you won´t be able to do it. I had a class on it and I just didn´t take to it. Its like when you do PP for the first time you either love it or hate it

Linda Ann, don't worry about spelling of my name. In the UK (where I was born) the differentiate between Leslie for males, and Lesley for females. Here in Ireland, they only seem to know Leslie as a male name. In fact, in places like hospitals, they often think I am going to be a male when I turn up, one hospital even allocated me a bed in a male ward!

As for stab stitching in a hoop, it isn't that it's impossible (from the embroidery point of view), I think it will just take a little longer, but stab stitch is definitely possible using a hoop. I don't know about applique with needleturn though. You might have to experiment to see if you can make it work in a hoop.

Back to Block 10, I'll post pics with individual comments, that might be easier.

Oh, my, my, my..........I think I just lost a few feathers. Oh, my, my, my. I'm beginning to wonder what I've agreed to. No worries, Lesley, I'm still going forward with it, but, WOW, it's a lot more intensive that I first thought. Is reverse applique done when pieces are too difficult to work with the other way?