peggy463

Hello quilters. I am making an alphabet quilt for one of my kids. I had to give up on the music theme one for now because I can't find a pattern that I love or that will work for the business of the music theme without taking away from it. Anyway, I am appliqueing my letters on and I found this book by Terry Atkinson called Fat Quarter Fonts which does NOT use any type of stabilizer, iron on on fusing, or interfacing of any kind to put the letters on the fabric, nothing. Is that ok to do? I don't understand the reasoning behind it. I cannot imagin that the fabric won't shift or something. I am to knew to quilting to know any better.
Peggy

gramarraine

It is ok to do it that way but is much easier if you use an iron on fusing or stablizer. The fusing holds the applique in place while you are sewing it on.

hperttula123

Yes, it is ok. You can use a glue stick to tack it down while you sew it. I have done it before and it works good. I think you should try it first on a sample piece to see how you like it....otherwise you can always use fusible on the back.

Prism99

I would at least heavily starch the background fabric. You don't want to sew all the way around an applique only to discover you have more background than applique left at the end. I paint a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water onto fabric until it is saturated, toss in dryer, then iron with steam before cutting the background squares. This makes the squares very stiff and stable so no stabilizer is required. The starch washes out later.

It's also a good idea to cut your background squares slightly larger than you want, then trim to size after your applique is finished.

janedee

I never use anything either just use applique pins and stitch them down by hand using needleturn method keeps the quilt nice and soft unlike when its fused it becomes stiff!!

quilticing

hobbykat1955

I've done both...without sometimes your applique stretches and you get a wrinkle on the edge towards the end...If you do this method use a stablizer on the back.

Best way is fusible but only use 1/4 outline near edge...cut out the center...then it's less stiff, like having nothing behind it

clem55

I use a very light weight fusible interfacing.Iron it on the back of fabric, trace around the pattern( get direction right!!) cut out, and then use a little dab of fabric glue to hold down. Of course, I'm not doing needle turn, just machine applique stitch around edges. I find I like this method a lot.

Kat Sews

Of course it's okay to do it without stabilizers or other new found crutches. These were not available until the last few decades, but beautiful applicate has existed for centuries