Do You Prefer Hand or Machine Applique?
 

I have been quilting for about 8 years but I still struggle with applique. Do you prefer machine or by hand? I still am not sure which I prefer but for the moment it's by hand. If I have hundreds of small pieces am I better off just stitching by hand?

I love doing applique by hand, and I think that doing small pieces by hand gives much more flexibility, less likely to miss any of the piece, but thats just me, as I am not very good on the sewing machine unless its a straight line lol!!

I love the look of doing it by hand and the speed of doing it by machine.

I haven't done any by hand, just machine. I love to do hand embroidery and cross stitch, so I bet I would like to do hand applique. And seeing some of the beautiful appliqued quilts, I can't imagine doing them on machine. I aspire to one day take time and do one.

I only do machine applique. I may be the only person on the planet that doesn't actually care for the way needleturn looks and is willing to admit it in public. I wouldn't even consider doing any applique until I discovered fusible web. I use several different edge finishes depending on the look I want. Larger black blanket stitching gives it more of a folk art look. Matching thread in a tiny blanket stitch gives a very elegant look. Straight stitch with invisible thread is a cleaner, more modern look. Straight stitching with either matching or variegated thread is also more of a modern look. An interesting stitch for the edges of leaves is a blind hem stitch with the v's pointing out. The one stitch I never use is satin stitch.

I have yet to do one with my machine but with RA in my hands I am now to the point that I will have to be doing it on my machine from now on.

Hands down, by hand!

:)

I always do needle turn by hand. I made the Let Sleeping Cats Lie as a gift as I appliqued the mice by machine. IT LOOKED HORRIBLE LOL!!!! I took one out completely and redid it. The fusible gummed up my needles and that was a pain.

Beth Ferrier makes it look so easy in her machine applique books, but all of the twisting and turning to applique the mice was hard.

I agree about not using the satin stitch to applique on the machine - it made mine pucker a lot.

I do hand work. I think it is relaxing and a good take along project. I tried machine applique but it just looked messy. My friend appliques on her machine and it looks great. It must take a lot of practice.

I love the appearance of needle turned applique, to me it is one of the most precious quilting forms/methods. Unfortunately I have no time to create the incredible works from the shapes/sizes that call out for needle turn.