i love it, i have that pattrn to but haven't started it ye. i love your color choies. how bad was the border?????
you id a bootiful border.

Rachael you did a marvelous job on the quilt and I have only dreamed of doing applique. Maybe one of these days I will break down and try it if I can ever get a decent schedule with these sewing machines I am repainting and refurbing and servicing.

Lets say business is going too good almost!!

So whats the trick in doing it?

Billy

AWESOME job! I especially like the pumpkin in the lower left corner.

Better knock on wood! The last thing you want is business drying up! :)

What I have learned about applique so far is that there is as many ways to do it as there are people who do it. Since starting this quilt I've used several different methods, but this quilt has just one used on it. The freezer paper, turn edge under and machine stitch down method (used a blind hem stitch but you can do just a zig zag). I tried needle turn by hand but that just wasn't for me, though some of the pieces on this quilt required hand stitching due to their small size.

I have another wall hanging needing to be quilted that I used fusible on. I really liked doing applique with that. The part I don't think I'll like is all the stitching around the edge. This one is worst than most with a lot of small, narrow pieces.

Overall I've enjoyed the applique I've done so far. This quilt was a little larger dose than I cared for but breaking it up with some piecing on other projects helped. I say you should go for it! :)

So the freezer paper is the one that you would recommend?

You make it look so simple and easy to do. I just might give it a whirl for a Christmas tree skirt I have been wanting to do. But it is no where as intricate as what you did with yours. Oh and I am going to get a taste of scalloped edges on a King size quilt I am going to finish up for the fall season for my bedroom.

Billy

Very different and a great job!

Love it.

What a fun quilt. That's what I call jumping into applique with both feet! You did great!

If the applique you're doing has just a few big pieces, the freezer paper works fine. For some of the smaller stuff in this quilt I used a water soluble fusible, so I didn't have to worry about removing the freezer paper. I really like the water soluble stuff. It's made by C&T Publishing (I'm pretty sure that's the right name). Trace design on the non-shiney side, shiney side irons on to the wrong side of your fabric, you can then turn under your edges, stitch to your background and your done. You can do multiple layers of it since it dissolves once washed. With the freezer paper you have to remove the paper (by cutting away the background behind the applique piece) after each piece is stitched on.

I bought a book when I first started with applique that I really, really liked. It's called More! Hand Applique By Machine by Beth Ferrier. If you want to use a machine for applique, I suggest taking a look at this book and Beth's method. If you're going to do it by hand, I have no suggestions for you other than gather your patience 'cause you're gonna need it! :)

ETA: I meant to comment about the scallop border. I bought Darlene Zimmerman's template so I didn't have to think too hard about the math and scallop size. It still was a little bit of a pain because no one size fits all. But that wasn't too big of a deal. Biggest pain was the binding. I made it harder on myself though by buying some bias binding that was pure and utter crappola (I didn't want to mess with cutting my own bias binding). Sewing down into the v's and pivoting without pinching your binding was the most aggravating part. None of it was really hard, just more time consuming and labor intensive than a straight border. But on the right quilt, a scalloped border makes all the difference in the world and is oh so pretty. :)

Rachelcb80, I think you did a wonderful job on your quilt. I especially love how you quilted the backgrounds, it's beautiful!