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.

Needleturn, except sometimes for a quilt that I anticipate will get a lot of heavy wear, I will do the old washaway interfacing trick and then machine stitch.

I've done needle turn, fusible, freezer paper, and the one where you use one sided fusible, sew it to the applique fusible side to the right side of the fabric, then turn, and you can cut out a large portion of the side that will be fused to the fabric to minimize the hardness of the fusible. I like the last method best.

I have done needle turn, freezer paper and fusible, that I stitch with a buttonhole st. by hand using floss. I love them all!!

I haven't tried it yet but intend to. Knowing the quality of my hand stitching, whatever I do it will be with a machine.
Rodney

My favorite is let someone else do it. Lol!

I've done fusible with paint pen edging - which ends up cracking after a few washings (on sweatshirts).

I've done it also on baby bibs with satin stitch edging which I liked better, but no longer have the zigzag machine (passed on to someone who didn't have a machine).

Tried needle turn for the hot air balloon block swap and felt like mine was close to a disaster - apologies to those of you who got one of my blocks!

So for now anyway, I'm leaving it to the rest of you.

It's so funny but I actually find hand applique to be very relaxing. I usually trace the pattern onto the piece being appliqued and baste to background fabric. I find it much easier than dealing with the freezer paper rolling up or pins. I will trim seams (~1/8") and clip curves a little at a time as I am working on it (maybe a few inches). Instead of needle turn, I use a flat wet toothpick (which I keep in my mouth) to turn down the edges of the applique. The toothpick grabs the fabric nicely and helps to turn under smoothly. I just love it! I have never been happy with machine applique and the iron on stuff on the fabric. It gives it such a flat look which I'm not happy with. But, try all methods and see which one works best for you. Good luck!