My DD wants a butterfly quilt. This will be the third quilt I have done. I haven't found a pattern for one that isn't appliqued or paper pieced. So here is the question. Is applique over my head being a beginner. I was thinking about doing it on the machine. Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions are appreciated.
I attached a copy of the photo in a word doc - didn't know how else to do it. It was a pattern I found online

I did my first machine applique without any help when beginning to quilt, and it was ok to do. Just go slow (especially around any corners) and you will be fine. Use some Heat n Bond lite to place the butterflies on the background then stitch around it. It might not be perfect; but it will be ok...remember it's your first time.

Thanks for the tip and the encouragement.

Here's the picture...

I havent done any machine applique, but I do lots of hand applique. I've only been quilting a little over a year and a half, so am still a bit of a beginner, too. Nothing's over your head if you have the confidence to give it a try.

And if you're really not sure, try it on scraps first. Besides, this is for your daughter... she really won't care if it's perfect. She'll love it because you made her a quilt that has butterflies!

Ladygen your butterfly quilt so pretty-very nice!

There are so many different ways to appliqué I am sure you will find the method you can do and get good at quickly. One of my favorite is to sew a line around the pattern where you will turn the fabric. Then when you are turning the edges you know exactly where to do it.

Most of the appliques I have done are ironed on with an outlining blanket stitch by machine. I still have to go slow but I like the look.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-35423-1.htm

If you are leery of applique, check out the thread above. It's a pieced butterfly that was posted on the board. Searching butterfly quilt will give you a couple of people's pictures of a smiliar quilt.

I agree, just make sure your heat n bond is LIGHT. If not then I hear it can mess with your sewing machine because it is too thick.

The keyword for applique is patience!
Just take your time. make sure you keep your needle down when going around corners. Patience...don't hurry it! In no time, you'll master it!

Ladygen that is adorable, those are probably the cutest butterflies that I have seen, seriously adorable. I am like you I do all applique by hand. I like the freezer paper method. I am a hand quilter so for me to use a fusible bond it makes the quilting process harder.
Applique can be so much fun so I would suggest trying all methods and see which one you like best.

That's the picture JLD was trying to post, not something I did! I dug it out of the file she sent and posted it separately, so it made more sense what she was looking to do!

I laughed when I read what you said. I am sure you are right - you see patience is a four letter word in my book. Something I have yet to gain :oops: - I guess this will help!

would you consider doing it the e. burns way? she cuts it as one with iron-on webbing. the webbing faces the right side of the fabric to cut. she cuts AND sews all around. she makes a slit [carefully] through the web in the back and turns it right-side out. now, she has a shape that is right side out with the bonding side right side out on the back. after poking all around the seams from the hole in the back, and finger pressing, she presses in place to her project. now that it's secure, she blanket stitches OR machine invisible stitches all around. if she has things like antennae, she embroiders them. eyes are french knots. she does NOT satin stitch. but she says that's her own preference.

That's what I was going to say, try this one

try this. it's in french, but once you click on the picture you like, the pictures
themselves show exactly how to do it.

http://quiltine.free.fr/page%2012_sampler_papillons.htm

another: http://www.qorsite.com/styles/mini/m...terflymini.pdf

another: http://www.fvqg.org/pdffiles/may08bom.pdf

one more: http://www.azpatch.com/bom/bom2001/05may01/bom01may.htm