Monster block - What am I doing wrong? Applique woes
 

My monster block looked so cute sitting on the ironing board after I fused it. It was nice and flat. After satin stitching around it, it has puckers in it. I used a tear away stabilizer on the back of it.

Do I need to change the machine's tension or make changes elsewhere? I'd love some advice.

Thanks a bunch.

:)

Love the block - great fun - it looks to me as if your tension may be a bit tight not sure how you can get out of this one apart from taking out the stitching which would be a horrible job but I'm no expert on applique using this method - someone else may have a better solution x

That is so cute! My guess would be that you needed a heavier stabilizer, but I don't really know, just guessing.

That would be my guess also. This is one of the reasons I don't like a tight satin stitch when appliqueing. It is really cute though!!!

WHERE did you use the stabilizer; just under the monster or on the whole piece of fabric? Yes, the tension could be a little tight but I never use a satin stitch when appliqueing. It might work better if there weren't so many curves and/or small areas to maneuver around.
Did you make the monster design yourself? It's very cute.

Keep in mind I know nothing about this process.
Wondering if you could carefully cut around the applique, then hand stitch it on a new piece of fabric. Wouldn't that get rid of the puckers?

I never use stablizer when I do applique. I starch the background fabric until it is just about cardstock and the use the satin stitch. It seems to work for me.

Turn it over and press it on the back. It'll be fine once it's quilted.

Your block is sooooooo cute. Maybe just loosen your satin stitch a bit and sometimes 2 layers of tear away stabilizer.

Thanks for all the help. I used a tear away stabilizer underneath the whole piece of fabric - figured that was easier than trying to keep a smaller piece in place.

There are 10 blocks in the quilt so I have time and space for learning. LOL. 5 of the monsters come from a great pattern I got from a QB member. Pattern is upstairs but the name is along the the line of "Planetary Monster Quilt". 4 of the blocks are drawings I made after googling monster and getting some ideas and the last monster was frawn by my 12 year old granddaughter. I'm making changes in several of the blocks so they don't look so much like space monsters.

I'm going to play around some and try adjusting the tension. Gonna try heavier stabilizer and I'll also try starching the background fabric. I may even go so far as to layer this one block and do some quilting on it to see if it will look ok after quilting. If not, I may take out some of the satin stitching and try to redo it.

Hope everyone has a great day. I have to go grocery shopping this morning :-( and then will sew after I get home.
:-)

Thanks for letting me know about the monster; I also google drawings.
Good luck with it all!

I admire your satin stitching. It is so smooth and even around all those curves.

I do satin stitch applique. It looks like the stitch is too dense. The stitch may also be too wide.
Kat

I use satin stitch alot on quilts and use just plain newsprint paper as my stabilizer. I know it's hard on the needle but it works for me. Rarely does it pucker, but I do go slowly. Also I try to keep the stitch 99% on the piece being appliquéd and just the little "zag" stitch goes out onto the block fabric itself. It looks really cute, and once you have pressed it face down onto a padded board, those puckers won't be noticeable.

if you're going to quilt it then no need to worry, if not then try a heavier stabilizer. I have an embroidery machine and that happens to me it's hard not to get puckers when doing a dense embroidery

It looks to me that you are sewing too many stitches into a fabric that can't take it without a double layer of stabilizer under it. Even then it could be a little tricky. If you intend quilting it it should be salvageable.

My advise is to use a batting behind your block if your going to satin stitch. If just using a tear away, I would use a reverse button hole stitch or free motion straight stitch. I always us a seam sealer like Fray Chek or Fray Block if using the later 2 ways.

I think you would do better using a heavy wash away stabilizer. When you do dense stitching as you have done, tear away stabilizer literally tears away as you stitch. As Scissor Queen said, though, once it's pressed and sandwiched and quilted, the puckers should be all gone.

Yes, batting is a good way to go. I did a block of the month called Stitcher's Garden. We used many of our fancy stitches and different feet. You still layer it with batting the regular way. Turned out great.

It's going to be a wonderful quilt, and the most perfect block will be the one your granddaughter drew!

Your little monster is sure cute. I had to look twice though. He is pointing at something isn't he? heheheh!

I am making a quilt where all the blocks have very dense thick satin stitch applique plus machine embroidery stitches. Starch your fabric, use very,very firm wash away stabilizer or a strong paper behind your stitching. I find the stabilizer works a bit better while the paper is of course a lot cheaper. You are trying to get the fabric so strong that it won't be possible to pucker - about the strength of denim. Since you're using cotton, you have to get the strength from a combination of starch and backing. Using temporary spray adhesive to keep the paper on the back of your fabric is a trick that many use but it isn't truly frugal - works great though. Your block is fantastic!

I was told once there is a difference between stabilizer and pellon. Perhaps try pellon instead, I know one stretches more than the other. You could also be stitching too tight, too many stitches per inch, perhaps back that down. Perhaps also try a test run with a blanket stitch, I have always had good luck with it, and it lays nice and flat.

So cute! The one thing I learned was to use a light weight thread in the bobbin. The woman teaching the class said to use a thread called deco bob or lingere (spelling) bobbin thread. Also make sure you have the proper foot for satin stitching.

Try using an embroidery hoop. I have basted strips of fabric on the outside of my block if it is not big enough for the hoop. The hoop along with stabilizer should help.

I made the entire "Planetary Party" series (designed by Amy Bradley) and it was so much fun! I'm a "serious amateur" astronomer and I collected really funky fabrics for about 2 years. Because I divided the quilt in half for two wall hangings, rather than for a bed quilt, I used fusible fleece on each block's background before I appliqued. This would make it too stiff for a bed quilt that would be washed but it was great for the wall hanging. The "monsters" were fused onto that backing and I used a blanket stitch for the outlining. I must admit that I haven't mastered the satin stitch - yet.

I use stabilizer that I can leave in -- tearing it off seems to distort the fabric when I do it. Same with paper piecing -- I use the stuff that stays in.

Do you think that you could carefully cut the monster away from the backing (leaving the stitching) and then fuse the whole thing onto another piece of stabilized backing? You might need to use something like "fray check" on the satin stitching before you try it.

I haven't appliqued a block that large. Looking at the picture, it appears to me that the background fabric has stretched primarily when the satin stitch was on the bias of the background fabric and/or around tight curves.

I have not had this problem when I have done satin stitch applique; however, instead of using stabilizer I heavily starch the background fabric. My method is to mix a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water, "paint" this solution on to the background fabric yardage until the fabric is saturated, toss in dryer, and iron with steam before I ever cut the background blocks (and it's always a good idea to cut the background blocks a little larger, then cut down to exact size after the applique is finished). Spray starch will not be heavy enough, even if you apply it in layers. The 1:1 solution I use is the heaviest starch application I have found to be usable.

You might want to do some test samples before committing to another large block. Some types of fusible may not want to stick to heavily starched fabric. What brand of fusible are you using? I find most fusibles leave the hand of the fabric too stiff for my liking. I am just in the process of testing Misty Fuse to see how it works with starched backgrounds, and also to see how it holds up with different types of applique stitching around the edge. No results yet.

Are you sure you want to use a satin stitch? The satin stitch alone creates kind of a stiff, bumpy edge. A slightly more relaxed zigzag might work better if you don't mind the stray raw edge threads that will probably develop from multiple washings. Actually, a raw edge type of applique might actually enhance the monsters -- making them look more "monstery".

Reduce the density of your satin stitching will help, they look very close together.

Have you tried blocking it and spraying with starch? It might be enough to straighten it out. Good luck.

Try using an additional layer of stabilizer. Wash away stabilizer would be great addition. It will give you the additional strength you need for the satin stitch.

I think it will be fine if you starch it really stiff and quilt it. You'd be surprised at how forgiving applique quilts are one they are quilted.

It is all in the stabilizer - most stabilizers can only handle 8,000 stitches. You should do an iron on stabilizer and a floater. Just stick the floater under your project. All will tear off nicely. Great block!!!

Floater? not sure what is meant by the term. I appliqued life-size guitars on a quilt backing and had no puckering. I had used a lightweight pellon fusible stabelizer (the one with the little "glue" dots on the fusible side) and sewed it on pillowcase style -- put the glue side facing the right side, stitched along the lines of the silouette, cut a slit in the pellon, then turned to the right side.(hand basted the seam all around to have a sharp edge -- could press because of the glue -- never thought to use a teflon sheet) The glue side is now othe outside of the back. Then I ironed it onto the backing and satin stitched all around. (I think I learned this technique when I did an Eleanor Burns quilt -- URR)

I notice in the picture of the monster applique that the top part is puckered, but the legs, etc are fine.
That is going to be a great quilt! Good luck.

hahahaha #1 you are to funny!