What is your Favorite Applique Method?
 

Last night, after an incredibly busy day, the gals and I just grabbed some tea, kicked our feet up, and started working on different projects (I seem to have a never-ending pile of bindings to turn...). Looking around, 4 of them were doing some kind of applique project or another, each with a different lap full of mediums/textures .. cotton on cotton (needle turn), wool on flannel, wool on wool and wool on silk.

Now, while I really like turning bindings (I find it very therapeutic) I have learned that for me, applique of any type (hand, machine or fusible) and any medium, is very stressful... but they all looked so relaxed. :confused: So, I started to wonder at the overall consensus amongst quilters -- applique or no, machine or hand, and what is your favorite applique medium - cotton, wool, silk, flannel, or something else?

This weekend my daughter is coming home for a few days and we are each starting an applique quilt top. My daughter loves needle turn applique, I don't like it. However she found a pattern which looks like alot of fun and I am trying it. The pattern is called Lollypop Trees, by Kim McClean- looks like maybe I might enjoy doing it, I know my daughter will. I hope it will not be stressful, maybe I can do it.

I love needle turn applique. I have utmost respect for those who can do this beautiful method, but I lack the patience to do any more than just a bit of it.

After doing a Hawaiian quilt the needle turn method, I love it!!! It is not fast but is so beautiful and smooth!!!!

I do needle turn applique with 100% cotton fabrics. I find it relaxing especially once you have the hang of it.

[I] have only done fusible, and I find it really fun to do. I am looking forward to trying other methods. I also find binding very relaxing.

So far, I have done all my applique projects with cotton on cotton. I do needle-turn with tracing, freezer paper and backbasting methods, Karen Kay Buckley's spray sizing with a template method, and fusible. With the KKB method, depending on the project, I hand stitch or machine stitched the pieces down. I use the same method for the whole project. With fusible, I machine stitch using either a blind hem stitch or a buttonhole stitch. I have a Hawaiian quilting block in progress, which I am needle turning. I find applique relaxing, I guess mainly because I look at each block as a mini-quilt, and a completed block is a completed project.

I have never worked with wool. I don't like the feel of wool, and most of the patterns I've seen are very folk artsy. I have never done buttonhole stitch by hand on an applique project. When I first learned to sew 50 years ago, my mom's machine had a straight stitch, forward and back. If you wanted buttonholes, you made them by hand. After hand stitching buttonholes for upteen blouses with cuffed sleeves, I'll pass on a buttonhole stitch.

I love doing needleturn applique, normally using cotton - in fact I love doing any quilting by hand

Needle turn would be my choice, I don't do much.

I made a queen size Baltimore quilt using needle turn, it is on the pictures section. I have done fusible, but find it a bit stressfull getting the mirror imaging right.Made a nice table runner using this method.