Those of you who do turned-edge machine applique,
09-01-2017, 08:50 AM
#11
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SusieQ, glad I was helpful!
quiltingshorttimer, Bottom Line is 60wt 2-ply, while microquilter is 100wt. Theoretically, microquilter should be finer. However, I've also tried Invisafil which is 100wt and it actually seemed to show at least as much as Bottom Line. It's hard to tell because I didn't compare close colors. I'm not sure it makes that much difference, but apparently I am a sucker for trying different things.
Jmoore, I hadn't heard of Barely There. I will have to look it up.
The purpledaisies foundation is water soluble. It's what Sharon Schamber uses (purpledaisies is her daughter's online store). Don't know about Kris Viera. The problem I had with it is that it is quite soft, making the edge harder to feel. Beth Ferrier's Washaway Applique sheets, in comparison, are stiff and I think a little thicker (plus they have fusible on one side). Much, much, much prefer the Ferrier sheets, but they are getting awfully expensive.
Bree and M, I've tried starch and an iron, and it is just not for me. I'm rather clumsy, plus impatient, so I get frustrated at the time it takes the iron to solidify the starch, not to mention burning myself. I am much faster turning an edge with my fingers, and my results are much better that way. Currently I have reconstituted my old dried out Elmer's white paste with water and am using a brush to paint it on the edge. It's not quite as easy as using fresh paste and my finger to apply, takes a little more time, but I am getting used to it.
It's interesting to hear that others are doing turned edge machine applique too. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one.
The truth is, I could go back to using regular freezer paper, and I could make my own homemade glue (I am currently experimenting with homemade glues to see if I can achieve the level of fast tack I want) and I could do just fine with it. It's just that, as I am getting older, I want techniques that are (1) the most enjoyable to me, and (2) the fastest for me. I am becoming more and more aware that I have limited time to accomplish all of the quilt projects that are in my head (not to mention the ones already in the closet, awaiting me).
quiltingshorttimer, Bottom Line is 60wt 2-ply, while microquilter is 100wt. Theoretically, microquilter should be finer. However, I've also tried Invisafil which is 100wt and it actually seemed to show at least as much as Bottom Line. It's hard to tell because I didn't compare close colors. I'm not sure it makes that much difference, but apparently I am a sucker for trying different things.
Jmoore, I hadn't heard of Barely There. I will have to look it up.
The purpledaisies foundation is water soluble. It's what Sharon Schamber uses (purpledaisies is her daughter's online store). Don't know about Kris Viera. The problem I had with it is that it is quite soft, making the edge harder to feel. Beth Ferrier's Washaway Applique sheets, in comparison, are stiff and I think a little thicker (plus they have fusible on one side). Much, much, much prefer the Ferrier sheets, but they are getting awfully expensive.
Bree and M, I've tried starch and an iron, and it is just not for me. I'm rather clumsy, plus impatient, so I get frustrated at the time it takes the iron to solidify the starch, not to mention burning myself. I am much faster turning an edge with my fingers, and my results are much better that way. Currently I have reconstituted my old dried out Elmer's white paste with water and am using a brush to paint it on the edge. It's not quite as easy as using fresh paste and my finger to apply, takes a little more time, but I am getting used to it.
It's interesting to hear that others are doing turned edge machine applique too. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one.
The truth is, I could go back to using regular freezer paper, and I could make my own homemade glue (I am currently experimenting with homemade glues to see if I can achieve the level of fast tack I want) and I could do just fine with it. It's just that, as I am getting older, I want techniques that are (1) the most enjoyable to me, and (2) the fastest for me. I am becoming more and more aware that I have limited time to accomplish all of the quilt projects that are in my head (not to mention the ones already in the closet, awaiting me).
09-01-2017, 08:54 AM
#12
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Okay, I looked up Barely There. https://www.swirlygirlsdesign.com/st...sible_Web.html
It sounds a lot like Misty Fuse with a paper backing. (I have added a paper backing to Misty Fuse by ironing it to parchment paper.) I don't think that product will work for turned edge applique; it is designed for raw edge applique. It would be really nice for that because it will keep the applique soft. The problem with using it for turned edge is that you can't leave the paper on and, if you take the paper off, the remaining web does not provide a hard edge for turning.
It sounds a lot like Misty Fuse with a paper backing. (I have added a paper backing to Misty Fuse by ironing it to parchment paper.) I don't think that product will work for turned edge applique; it is designed for raw edge applique. It would be really nice for that because it will keep the applique soft. The problem with using it for turned edge is that you can't leave the paper on and, if you take the paper off, the remaining web does not provide a hard edge for turning.
09-01-2017, 12:17 PM
#13
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine-ly Florida
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This has been a very interesting thread.
I recently read about a product Ricky Tims sells and have been considering trying it out. I think I read about it on a Pinterest post and am unhappy that I didn't save it.
Long ago, a friend showed me how to do machine appliqué by using bridal tulle. I think Eleanor Burns used to promote that method. My friend's appliqué looked like handwork, very nice.
Ricky Tims' Stable Stuff Poly, 50 sheets for 9.98 plus shipping.
I wish someone sold a little sample pack of different things to try out like the Quilters' Dream batting sample booklets. I'd buy that!
I recently read about a product Ricky Tims sells and have been considering trying it out. I think I read about it on a Pinterest post and am unhappy that I didn't save it.
Long ago, a friend showed me how to do machine appliqué by using bridal tulle. I think Eleanor Burns used to promote that method. My friend's appliqué looked like handwork, very nice.
Ricky Tims' Stable Stuff Poly, 50 sheets for 9.98 plus shipping.
I wish someone sold a little sample pack of different things to try out like the Quilters' Dream batting sample booklets. I'd buy that!
Last edited by lots2do; 09-01-2017 at 12:22 PM.
09-01-2017, 12:49 PM
#14
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,079
Originally Posted by Prism99
I have some of that interfacing and tried it out a few years ago. However, I found it to have a really soft edge compared to the freezer paper that I was accustomed to, making it harder for me to turn the fabric. I am considering trying it again with a Misty Fuse backing, though. Maybe I can get used to the softness of the edge. I've used the Elmer's purple glue sticks too, but they are just not tacky enough for me. I was spoiled by the Elmer's white school paste, which provides much more immediate tack.
09-01-2017, 12:59 PM
#15
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Back in the days before all the fancy fusibles, we used dryer sheets. Used ones. They worked great. They were soft and pliable. They stayed in the applique. You had to clip a hole in the sheet, sew it onto the right side of the applique, and turn it inside out through the hole. If you preferred, you could trim the center of the dryer sheet back for less bulk. This turned the edges under, but it got really tricky with appliques that had intricate profiles. (Those are still tricky for me!) The dryer sheets only came in small sizes too. I still do it this way occasionally.
09-01-2017, 06:45 PM
#16
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thanks Prism for your info--I'll make note of both the purple daisies stablizer and also Beth Ferrier's -I've avoided it mostly cause a) I'm lazy about the prep b) I don't like raw edge or satin stitch c) I'm not fond of handwork. But I do like the turned edge machined and this sounds like a good way to get great results. I'm sold on the glue sticks after taking a Judy Niemeyer instructor taught class, too.
I haven't compared the Superior Bottom Line with similar color MicroThread--maybe the MicroThread seems heavier cause it has more sheen--or maybe I'm just imagining it! but I do like the MicroThread.
I haven't compared the Superior Bottom Line with similar color MicroThread--maybe the MicroThread seems heavier cause it has more sheen--or maybe I'm just imagining it! but I do like the MicroThread.
09-01-2017, 10:47 PM
#17
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Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
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Originally Posted by Prism99
what are your favorite materials and techniques? I started out with Harriet Hargrave's freezer paper method and YLI nylon monofilament thread, but over the years I have experimented a lot.
For example, I started out with kitchen freezer paper. I developed a technique whereby I would trace once on a piece of freezer paper, then layer that on top of 5 additional pieces of blank freezer paper, iron around the edges to secure, then cut out along the traced line. This way I got 6 freezer paper patterns for only one tracing and one cutting.
Now I have an Accuquilt Go! and much prefer cutting applique shapes with dies whenever I can. While cutting freezer paper with the Go!, I decided to finally spring for some Jenkins freezer paper. Oh, my! I immediately loved that it came pre-cut and laid flat, meaning I didn't have to perform any prep for it on the Go! Decided that the extra cost for Jenkins was worth it to me, given my age and the savings in time and effort it made for me.
Then I discovered Beth Ferrier's Wash-Away Applique sheets. Now that's all I want to use. However, the price is becoming prohibitive. Looking back in my Amazon history, I see that I purchased a package of 25 sheets for $10.85 back in 2011. In November of 2016, the same package was $14.65. Yesterday when I looked, the same package was $19.28 on Amazon. I found it for $17.24 on the createforless website, but it's still pricey for what I have in mind -- a quilt with tons of applique on it. I would need so many packages, it would push the price of the quilt up quite a bit. So now I am thinking of experimenting to see if I can come up with my own fusible wash-away interfacing -- maybe by fusing MistyFuse to the back of a plain wash-away. I really don't want that extra work, but at some point a craft material is not worth its price.
Anyway, that's been my journey on freezer paper. I have had another, less productive journey, on glue. I did not like the glue sticks I tried, and discovered that Elmer's white school paste worked perfectly for me -- very fast for me to spread with a finger, was immediately tacky, yet allowed me to adjust the edges. I loved that stuff. And then they discontinued it. I have a stockpile, but it has dried out even with vacuum-sealing in my foodsaver, so it generally requires re-constituting with water. Now I am back to trying out different glue sticks, mostly for smaller items. I do like these glue dots a lot for larger pieces, such as the Go! butterfly pieces:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VBXC38/
They are pricey, but worth it to me for larger pieces because they make them go so fast. However, the glue dots don't work as well for small pieces, hence the search for a glue stick.
I have run on long enough. What I am really wondering is what other freezer-paper-type machine applique quilters like. What have you found useful? I will detail the pros and cons of what I have tried if you will share the pros and cons of things you have tried.
For example, I started out with kitchen freezer paper. I developed a technique whereby I would trace once on a piece of freezer paper, then layer that on top of 5 additional pieces of blank freezer paper, iron around the edges to secure, then cut out along the traced line. This way I got 6 freezer paper patterns for only one tracing and one cutting.
Now I have an Accuquilt Go! and much prefer cutting applique shapes with dies whenever I can. While cutting freezer paper with the Go!, I decided to finally spring for some Jenkins freezer paper. Oh, my! I immediately loved that it came pre-cut and laid flat, meaning I didn't have to perform any prep for it on the Go! Decided that the extra cost for Jenkins was worth it to me, given my age and the savings in time and effort it made for me.
Then I discovered Beth Ferrier's Wash-Away Applique sheets. Now that's all I want to use. However, the price is becoming prohibitive. Looking back in my Amazon history, I see that I purchased a package of 25 sheets for $10.85 back in 2011. In November of 2016, the same package was $14.65. Yesterday when I looked, the same package was $19.28 on Amazon. I found it for $17.24 on the createforless website, but it's still pricey for what I have in mind -- a quilt with tons of applique on it. I would need so many packages, it would push the price of the quilt up quite a bit. So now I am thinking of experimenting to see if I can come up with my own fusible wash-away interfacing -- maybe by fusing MistyFuse to the back of a plain wash-away. I really don't want that extra work, but at some point a craft material is not worth its price.
Anyway, that's been my journey on freezer paper. I have had another, less productive journey, on glue. I did not like the glue sticks I tried, and discovered that Elmer's white school paste worked perfectly for me -- very fast for me to spread with a finger, was immediately tacky, yet allowed me to adjust the edges. I loved that stuff. And then they discontinued it. I have a stockpile, but it has dried out even with vacuum-sealing in my foodsaver, so it generally requires re-constituting with water. Now I am back to trying out different glue sticks, mostly for smaller items. I do like these glue dots a lot for larger pieces, such as the Go! butterfly pieces:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VBXC38/
They are pricey, but worth it to me for larger pieces because they make them go so fast. However, the glue dots don't work as well for small pieces, hence the search for a glue stick.
I have run on long enough. What I am really wondering is what other freezer-paper-type machine applique quilters like. What have you found useful? I will detail the pros and cons of what I have tried if you will share the pros and cons of things you have tried.
Easy appliqué tutorial I promised
09-02-2017, 08:40 AM
#18
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,783
Prism, I pulled it out and it's made by Sulky and called "Sticky Fabri-Solvy". When I tried turning the glued seam allowances over with my fingers, I found I was turning over too much. I was actually turning over a bit of the Sticky Fabri-Solvy along with the seam allowance. It's soft, not stiff, so that can happen. So for me, it worked far better to use the two cuticle sticks for turning. The ends are cut on a bevel, so I could put the thin edge of the stick right at the end of the Sticky Fabri-Solvy to show me exactly where to turn over. I would then use the other cuticle stick to turn the glued seam allowance over the tip of the first stick, making a crease. Then I could slide the first stick out from underneath and finish tapping down the seam allowance, following the crease I made.
09-02-2017, 02:49 PM
#19
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Location: Northern California
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Prism--I appreciate your invaluable posts. My goal is a queen-sized Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt using 3/4-inch hexagons (requiring over 3500 hexies). I envision it as a "carry around" project to last me until the end of days. ;->)
My questions to you pertain to that class of fusible stabilizers that supposedly transform into soft poly (or cotton) fibers after washing. IOW, you don't remove the EPP stabilizer shapes but leave them in your quilt. After washing, the stabilizer glue disappears and only soft fibers remain. Those fibers are said not to stiffen or add bulk to the quilt.
I am trying to understand the science and generics of these miracle fusibles but none of the ones I think I might know about (Ricky Tims' stable stuff poly is one of the products only, it is a tear-away, not a fusible, Helen Stubbing's Hug's 'N Kisses EPP stabilizer and precut iron on shapes, Soft Fuse--one of Sue Nickel's favorites, some product sold by Judy Niemeyer, etc.) are described similarly but just dissimilarly enough that I am not sure whether I am comparing apples to apples as I try to select the most affordable option. I have Sizzix hexagon dies, a Brother Scan N Cut, and am subscribed to Inklingo, so I can easily make my own EPP precuts once I settle on a fusible, leave-in stabilizer that won't cost an arm and a leg and won't leave my quilt heavier and/or stiffer.
Are any of the products you have mentioned for sure the kind where the stabilizer leaves soft fibers after washing? Has anyone else reading this thread gotten to the bottom of this class of stabilizer? Many thanks.
My questions to you pertain to that class of fusible stabilizers that supposedly transform into soft poly (or cotton) fibers after washing. IOW, you don't remove the EPP stabilizer shapes but leave them in your quilt. After washing, the stabilizer glue disappears and only soft fibers remain. Those fibers are said not to stiffen or add bulk to the quilt.
I am trying to understand the science and generics of these miracle fusibles but none of the ones I think I might know about (Ricky Tims' stable stuff poly is one of the products only, it is a tear-away, not a fusible, Helen Stubbing's Hug's 'N Kisses EPP stabilizer and precut iron on shapes, Soft Fuse--one of Sue Nickel's favorites, some product sold by Judy Niemeyer, etc.) are described similarly but just dissimilarly enough that I am not sure whether I am comparing apples to apples as I try to select the most affordable option. I have Sizzix hexagon dies, a Brother Scan N Cut, and am subscribed to Inklingo, so I can easily make my own EPP precuts once I settle on a fusible, leave-in stabilizer that won't cost an arm and a leg and won't leave my quilt heavier and/or stiffer.
Are any of the products you have mentioned for sure the kind where the stabilizer leaves soft fibers after washing? Has anyone else reading this thread gotten to the bottom of this class of stabilizer? Many thanks.
09-02-2017, 03:03 PM
#20
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Western NY
Posts: 841
I do needle-turn applique. I started with freezer paper, have worked a bit with wash away appliqué stabilizer, but have settled on back basting. For me that works. I do think there is a place for every method.
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