To Quilt, or not?
 

I have this Creative Iron fusible laser cut applique kit. It included all the fabric, plus backing, and enough for binding. I'm going to finish it. I'm trying to decide if it needs to be quilted, or can it just be bind off, and that's all?

It's a wall hanging. Here's the link to what it is.


Would you quilt it, so it doesn't gap, and stays together? Which color thread would you use?

What a beautiful pattern. Does the pattern have any instructions for how to finish it? I would think you might have to put something sturdy around the top so that it won't sag.

I highly doubt that the project will maintain it's shape without batting and quilting stitches. Most Iron on appliques are recommended to be blanket or satin stitched around the edges of the applique. Most times it is done before layering the quilt, but with this being a smaller WH, the pattern directions might suggest you do it after layering, thereby letting the seam act as the quilting. The invisible monofilament thread is used by many or the Deco Bob 80 weight thread. Both will be almost invisible.

I look forward to seeing your finished project.

I'm adding batting and binding ofcourse, but the instructions say it requires very little quilting. After I figure out which thread color, I think I'm going to quilt around the longer areas. I like the idea of invisible thread.

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Oh, I was right. That is really pretty. And it sounds quick too.

It is beautiful. If I were making it I would layer, then take black thread and do a machine blanket stitch around all the edges. That would completely secure the appliqué and quilt it at the same time.

I would just stitch the larger areas with the black thread just so it won't sag. Very pretty.

Not sure if this is a fair comparison or not, but I just recently LA'd a fusible applique wall hanging. Many of the tiny bits of fusible were unfusing. I believe this is because the maker did not prewash her fabrics and the factory sizing prevented the glue in the fusible from making a permanent bond. Did you prewash your background piece?

The top I just did was made a few years ago and had been unfolded and refolded several times. Many of the intricate tiny little bits were unfusing as well as some of the bigger pieces. I was able to hit them again with a hot iron to refuse but they were coming loose again while I was quilting. I had to lay down a LOT of thread in the quilting process to ensure this wallhanging would last for a very long time without the fusible coming up again. Because your gorgeous Nativity scene wallhanging will probably only be displayed during the holiday season it will be folded up and put away a lot. I would make sure you secure your fusing with stitching of some sort. Even a machine straight stitch around the entire perimeter of the laser cut applique would be better than nothing at all and it can double as your quilting.

I made it in 2007, but never quilted it. It's sat in a box. The instructions say not to prewash the fabric, and I've had no troubles at all with it coming unfused. I think I'll take a test scrap, and see what black looks like. I might do the binding in black as well. I'm not sure if I have enough for the binding.

And I think I'll go around the large area in black, but it will show the black threads on the back. That might not look very good. I'll do a swatch first.

How about the arch, and the roof of the inn? That should be enough to hold it together.