Well, folks, I have started on the Hawaiian quilt (pillow to start) I have talked about on previous threads. I have it basted and started on the HAND stitching that I love so much. :cry: :? What I want to know is how visible the stitching on the applique should be. I can see it and that bothers me. Please tell me what you think. The design is called Lokelani or beautiful rose.

I have done 2-3 from the Poakalani book. Well, finished one, started 2 more. The first one my stitches were really noticeable. The others are better, because I'm better. If you use a thread that matches the TOP part it seems to be better, and I suspect once you quilt it, everything will jive. Hand quilting takes me SO long though...I don't know if I will continue to do it this way, or do raw edge.

Well, the problem was that in the store I couldn't get a perfect thread match; that may be part of the problem. For as many hand beaded wedding gowns and hand sewed hems, you would think I could get better faster. The part the you see finished in the picture took me over 2 hours last night. I will keep trying, thanks.

^^^Yep. That's me, too. When DH and I go somewhere in the car together, he drives. I knit or applique. Still takes forever. :lol:

thats a beautiful pillow top,.. i have always wanted to do one of those, just a little simplier, for my taste. molly

Keep going!! :)

It looks good so far! I always look at hand appliqued quilts when at shows and I think if you look closely enough you'll always see the 'hidden stitches' but I think that's okay. When looking at applique I prefer the quilts where its hand done, I still kind of think that the fusible webbing is cheating - yeah its quick and way easier but so is hamburger helper but does it taste as good as something from scratch?

Going to be pretty

I think your work looks great. And I agree with the statement above that it always looks better once it is quiltd.

...aaaaand that's what I struggle with. Is it "cheating" to use web? I dunno. I wouldn't go so far as to compare it to hamburger helper, because I guess why don't we hand piece all of our blocks and forgo the sewing machine, kwim?