QuiltE I think your applique looks GOOD :D

Two questions.... are you clipping your seam allowance curves? and how wide is your seam allowance?

A shallow clip will do the trick on a gentle curve, if you snip to deep it can make a crease in the allowance and make a point in the seam.

Also you can cut your allowance MUCH smaller with such small pieces, and tight curves, or points.

Play with it a little :D :D :D I think you are off to a great start! and by the time you are finished with Jane you will be a PRO applique...er

Challenge???? :p

QuiltE I think your blocks are lovely, and I too think your applique looks good. I do a lot of applique, 'though I would not count myself an expert, and I have found sooooo many times that a technique that worked perfectly on one 100% cotton, high-quality quilting fabric, doesn't work as well on the another 100% cotton, high-quality quilting fabric. And right now I am appliqueing rabbits of various fabrics onto a cotton batik background... (Fortunately most of the rabbits are made of stitch-hiding fabrics like fleece, velvet and corduroy, and the fuzzy ones hide any bumpy edges too, but appliqueing corduroy is turning out to be one of my less brilliant ideas!!)

Love love love the blue and white. Let us know if we need to send you chunks of blue fabric, if you find your stash is giving out. How much of any one blue do you need to do one block? Would a charm square do it? Have you looked to see if there are any all-blue charm packs out there?

Alison

I don't neccessarily like applique but I have figured out a way to get alot of the larger simple done??? anyway.. I will cut a template of the piece to be appliqued on cardstock or postcards from magazines..I will then place that on the backside of the fabric...I will cut at least 3/8 to 1/3" around the template..I will then turn that seam allowance over the template as you would do in English Paper Piecing and hand stitch around using a basting size stitch.I will spray starch and press the piece so that the edges to be sewn to the main piece are crisp and the gathered side lays flat. remove the stitches & template then you applique the whole thing to the fabric.....I've done this with round circles & hearts..it takes more time but the effort reflects in the neatness of the pieces.

CarrieM ... only you know if the JR sewing might be a good or bad thing for your elbow. I was thinking it might be something you could do with just one arm. Don't know .. but for sure, do not overdo! I bet you feel a lot better with your new "do" ... I go creepy crawly when my hair does not get washed often enough.

Anael ... of course, I knew that! ... I'm not aiming for all different fabrics. For now, I can am just going one by one, and then will see how far I get before I have to repeat. You've already got a nice mix, from what I have seen.

OKSGlad ... Good idea ... and I guess just too obvious for my pea-brain to think about it! What? You do not know the DJ pattern ... have a look here ..............

DDamsel ... Thanks ... no pro I will be. And will I do them all? Only time will tell! So am I supposed to clip the curves even when they are outside curves? OOPS! I've just sort of been letting it gather and then starch it like crazy .... then I trim the seam allowance back to as narrow as I think I should dare to still let me do the hand stitching. I've avoided the inside curves so far, because I am scare to start clipping! :) Thanks for the coach's comments ... I need and appreciate them!

AlisonQ ... I've been watching but have not seen blue charm packs ... yet! I don't know how much I need .. some a smidgeon and some you need quite a bit. I know some are buying layer cakes to give them a comfort zone. Its surprising how much you use when doing some of those blocks with more of the blue in them. Or at least the way I do them. Sometimes I oversize, and then trim to size (eg. the circle ones made with the 4Ps and HSTs.

HOnchey ... Thanks for the tip. I have done some of them in a similar way. The larger pieces worked better than the small ones. Of course, I am still pretty inexperienced on this.


**hint** .... one thing I have discovered (and maybe everyone knows already)
When preparing templates .... first label the template with A1, B4 etc, because I usually do a bunch all at the same time and this can avoid wondering later, what is it for? Then I rough cut the template from the copy paper. Next spray the backside with 505. Stick that to an old file folder or greeting card. Now cut carefully on the template lines. So you only have to do your precision trimming that one time ... and I find it easier to do with the stiffer cardstock behind it.

QuiltE I don't have a program to install, just the book, DD purchased it a few years ago, so this might be more of a challenge for me. We will see..

Well, you do like challenges! :)


pssssssssst ... get the program!
and the plastic templates ........ I hesitated on them, thinking, why do I need anymore rulers? Surely what I have will do the trick? I gave in and ordered them with the software. Am I ever glad .... it's the best one I've ever had and makes final trimming and squaring of those little ones, oh so much easier!

Now show off that Maiden block here with the other DJs! :D

The hand sewing generally used in applique might be the thing to do right now Carriem..I think it would be easier on the elbow..pick out a block that has large applique pieces like the melon shape..

Here are my first 3 blocks, resorted to paper piecing the first two and added extra seams to the third so I wasn't sewing a circle, it's ok but definitely not perfect

Now might just check out the software and templates

Great blocks Mirabelle! I love the colours you're using! You will see you'll going to use the software a lot. I do :)

QuiltE are the templates separate from the software or do you print them off with the software. I will be ordering the software tomorrow but am also interested in the templates.

Asked DD if she knew about the software and she said yes, she just didn't want to spend the extra $$$ to buy it.:D