Happy Birthday Roxanne!

I lived in ABQ off of Tramway Blvd. and loved it. I'd go up the peak as often as I could. I really do miss it. And I have friends in Cloudcroft too. Talk about different worlds! So beautiful! I also love White Sands. That is one big fun sandbox to play in. One of my cousins was there at the AFB, when the stealth fighters were there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Roxanne

Many Happy Returns, Roxanne, have a lovely day.

Candi, I just tried to pull a knot through, using my embroidery needle and the two strands and it wouldn't go, though I think you might get away with it using a bigger needle to make that first hole to get the knot through, then changing to the regular needle you would normally use.

Failing that, perhaps you could start on the back with two tiny stitches instead of a knot, and hiding those stitches in the back of your satin stitch where you can. I think they all touch an applique shape at one point or another.

Regarding the idea of quilting the applique down on to the three layers will work with some machines, only I don´t think with the satin stitch, I personally think you will end up with a mess at the back. Zig zag will work and so will blanket stitch. What I suggested was that you who are either doing by applique or by needleturn do the block in that method and then layer it up to either stipple stitch or a design of whatever method you choose. Suppose you could always try it on a scrappy piece. I tried satin stitch it didn´t work for me.

Have you been to Carlsbad Caverns National Park? We are 1 hour east of Carlsbad & the caverns are about 30 minutes south of there. They are absolutly amazing! There are a bunch of different tours you can do, most are self-guided now. You rent a thingy into which you enter the number of the sign you are standing in front of. It will tell you all about what you are looking at. It's really cool. I used to rent one for everyine in the group, but now we share one. Just make sure you have a jacket with you as it is about 55º down there all year long. If you head our way, we have a queen size bed in the guestroom that I can offer! You'd have your own bathroom, too!

Wow, Kathy, you twisted my arm ,lol. We have not been to Carlsbad yet, we are working our way southwest now. But now that I have your offer, it may just take priority over all else, lol. I have no doubt of its magnificence...never been to a NP that was anything less spectacular!

I don't really have that good needle skills, I used a sewing machine for the first time two years ago, and my hand sewing is way behind my machine sewing skills, lol, so I will try whatever I am planning on scraps first...most likely, I'll just put it together and quilt it later, unless I can master your method of QAYG.

Howdy! Just ran across this tutorial on back basting applique. http://sentimentalstitches.net/instr...hand-applique/

What do you think about this? :-D

The joints at the base of my thumbs have been acting up these past few weeks. I may have to master the blind stitch applique method if they keep it up. :-( They haven't bothered me for several years now and all of a sudden... :roll:

LoL, actually I have been avoiding applique of all kinds but this project is going to force me to learn something! Good thing there are great instructors aboard. :-D

I read this but not any of the pictures came up after the first one, will have to go back and read it again as I didn´t fully understand the concept of this. Its amazing how many methods there are of doing this type of work.