Applique question
 

I have a quilt I am making for my granddaughter's upcoming (May) Bridal Shower. It is mostly white with applique.

I am about to cut the applique pieces and planned to attach it to the quilt via the needleturn technique. But my friend assures me that it would be so much easier (this is a queen size quilt) to do it with raw-edge applique (fused, of course) and stitched using the machine blanket stitch with invisible thread.

I would like to do it that way because needle turn is so tedious to me, but I fear that at some point my granddaughter might need to wash this quilt and the raw-edge applique will show raveling at the edges.

My friend says it won't that the blanket stitch will keep it from doing that...that the stitch seals the edges. That makes no sense to me since the blanket stitch has about 2-3 stitches that are on the quilt top before it take a stitch into the raw-edged applique.

Is my friend right? I need to hear from those of you who have done this technique and actually washed the quilt. How did it turn out?

I sure hope my friend is right, because I dread the needle turn. I did it once and didn't enjoy it. However, I'd be willing to if necessary.

TIA,
Dray

Maybe this would be a solution. Than blanket stitch.

http://www.fonsandporter.com/content...wingFusApp.pdf

oh no...I love the dryer sheet idea but I don't use them. :( Do you think wedding tulle would do instead? I have some of that and it's very light.

Tammy, I went to your website and was blown away with how talented you are. Beautiful work.

Have you heard of the freezer paper method. You cut the pattern 1/8"smaller than the pattern. Iron on the wrong side of fabric with iron ( best with applique iron) you iron edge over, remove iron, place small amount of elmers shool glue. Tah tah the edge is turned over and all you have to do is sew it own.

You can also use feather weight fusible interfacing instead of dryer sheets. I get it at JoAnn's. Not expensive at all.

The fusible will keep the edges from fraying very much. My machine makes one stitch between the sideways stitches and I sew right on the edge of the applique. If your machine is taking more than one stitch between the sideways stitches then it's not the blanket stitch.

I like the Eleanor Burns method. She sews the appliqué piece to interfacing then turns it through a slit in the back. It has nice body and lifts the appliqué slightly. No fraying because all seams are enclosed.

I don't like the raw edge applique with fusible, because the fused pieces get hard and inflexible. I much prefer sewing the pieces to interfacing and turning. If you use 1 side fusible interfacing, be sure the fusible side is facing the right side of the fabric when you sew them together (do not iron at this point). Turn and remove the center of the interfacing, then attach to the quilt.

I've never used the dryer sheets for this because I've never used them in the dryer (I'm allergic to all brands I've seen).

I used Eleanor Burn's method when I made my DD's Sunbonnet Sue quilt. I liked that the edges were sealed and the interfacing helped hold the applique to the fabric with hardly any movement at all.