I'm new to appliqueing. I've tried it. I've got some rooster patterns that I bought that are really great,but I need to know how to do them correctly. Should i startch the fabric? I would like to know how to needle turn. I have a big project coming up for my grandson who wants a pirate quilt. Oh happy days. I plan to hand quilt it as well. I've been quilting for quiteawhile,but I taught myself. now I need help. Any advice/

are you using fusible to applique the rooster? if so, then you could starch. I needleturn applique and would not want the fabric starched. that would make it too difficult for turning under scant edges, at least I think it would. I do a backwards applique, technique-wise. I trace the entire pattern onto the back of the background, then place the piece to be appliqued on the front, baste around the outside edge with a larger size needle than the applique needle (I use size 11) then turn over, trim leaving a scant 1/4-1/16" edge, depending on the piece. Then, I needle turn the edges, removing the basting as I go. This makes for really easy and nice curved pieces and is a piece of cake on the straight-away pieces. In fact, this way is so easy, I usually can be found, riding the subways to and from work, with applique in my hands. I can do this even on a crowded train as long as I have a seat.

Laurie

Thank you so much for your help. I was helping at a quilt show and missed the demonstration on the process you wrote about. I will try this.

I myself have only started trying my hand at applique so I don't know if I can be much help. I have not yet tried needle turn although I would like to in the future. Being such a beginner at applique, I like to have my edges already folded under. For larger simple shapes like circles I like to starch after my shape has already been pressed and ready to go just for that extra stiffness and to keep those ironed down seam allowances down. For more complex shapes, I press my seam allowance under. I like to press using a template made out of water color paper. Any heavy card stock would work, even used cut up greeting cards. I have that extra rigid shape to form my fabric around. Seems to help. Once pressed I remove the shape from the template. Then I apply Arlenes Tacky glue, just the barest little bit and glue those seam allowances down. I have found that starching prior to turning makes the turning and ironing process a bit more cooperative, at least for the bigger pieces. Smaller units I do not starch. I have read here Elmers white school glue also works for gluing down those edges. I like the Arlenes because it is very thick (water soluble) so it is easy to just get a tiny little bit on the fabric and it stays put as soon as I finger press it back down.

If I am reading feline fanatic correctly, that is the way I do applique. I use a small brush or q-tip dipped in starch and just starch the edge of fabric that is turned over and ironed onto the "template" This seems to hold pretty well, so I omit the glue process. I believe this method is called "prepared applique" It works very well for me. Good luck withe your project. Sounds lovely.

I did a pirate quilt by just using fusible then blanket stitching around it. The tops of the sails are ragged and loose. This was my first attempt at appliqueing and I didn't really have a clue as to what I was doing. It has Pirates of the Caribean fabric on the back and a blue and white nautical symbols binding. It was an adventure to try to blanket stitch around the sails without sewing down the flappy part and also not quilting over them. If you like any of my ideas you're welcome to use them. The little flag on the ship was made by copying and reducing the larger skull and cross bones fabric then printing it out on Printed Treasures. It's the size of a baby blanket.

if doing needle turn are you using freezer paper templates? they will probably work with starched fabric but i have found my fusables (like heat & bond lite or steam a seam or wonder under) do not adhere to fabric that has been starched. they work best if the fabric has been pre-washed getting rid of the sizing and any chemicals in the fabric. i have never heard of anyone using fusables when doing needle turn. if you choose to use a fusable make sure you purchase one that is for (sewing) some are permenent bonds (in theory) and are about impossible to get a needle through...i've used thimbles and needle nose pliars trying to sew around an applique i used Heat & bond on...it was terrible

I only needle-turn applique and hand quilt. For some really good teaching, I recommend going on u-tube and search under applique. There are several good videos there. Also Karen Kay Buckley has a reallly good dvd and does Piece O' Cake with Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins. Both will take you step by step. Also Kathy Delany has a dvd that is good also. Hope this helps. You can watch over and over as I have done. Karen Kay Buckley also shows how to machine applique.