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.

It depends on the pattern and the effect I am after. I actually like them both.

Sometimes the fingers get stiff and don't work well, then it may be time to switch to machine applique. The only stitch I use is the satin stitch!

I like both only if the hand applique is not needle turn!

I enjoy doing both. This morning I did some machine appliqué with the buttonhole stitch. I like to work on hand appliqué at night while I watch the news. Since I really enjoy both types of appliqué, I do the one I think will look best on the quilt I am making. This past month, I finished two hand appliquéd quilts. I am now working on a machine appliquéd quilt. While I am using the buttonhole stitch on this quilt, I have used a satin stitch on a previous quilt.

I prefer machine applique, but NOT with a satin stitch - I think it looks tacky, no matter how it's done. I've kind of been working on a hybrid method for a quilt I am making my niece, each piece has turned under edges so no chance of fraying but I am digitizing them all and each applique piece is stitched with a buttonhole stitch... to me it doesn't "look" like typical machine embroidery applique but it's much less fiddly than doing it freehand on the machine (I already tried that and failed - the perfectionist in me would never do a whole quilt that way).

Here is one of the test ones I've done.. it's basically the same owl as the hooterville pattern but about half the size and with different (redwork style) feet :)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/8...7f00dfc2_n.jpg

I much prefer hand appliqué. I prefer the look, the ease and the portability. Very easy to start and stop a project. No filling bobbins and changing thread colors and feet, etc. so many reasons I prefer hand appliqué (needle turn).

My thoughts too.

Why? Aesthetics or something technical?

Alison

Some of both. If you do satin stitch right it's fairly heavy and sucks up thread like there's no tomorrow. Plus you have to use a stabilizer or you get tunneling. I just don't like that heavy of an edge finish on my appliques and I don't want to have to add a stabilizer when I'm already using a fusible. The third reason is if your thread doesn't match your fabric exactly it sticks out like a sore thumb.

I also love hand stitching best.

I agree whole heartedly!

I don't like doing needle turn! I tried, I'm not good at it and don't have the patience to get better. So when I have to do applique it's by machine.

I prefer machine applique. I don't like raw edge applique, and if I do it , I would do a satin stitch. I prefer making the applique, sewing fusible applique to the item to be appliqued, and turning it so that the fusible side is out. Then cut away any excess fusible if it's a large piece. Iron on. Then I would use a blanket stitch to attach.