katybob

I hand appliqued mine, too. The first few I did were really awful, but each one got better after that. I think it'd be pretty difficult to machine applique those tiny melons.

CindyA

donac - can you tell me about the 13 month Dear Jane group you're in? Is it using Doreen Johnson's (Aunt Reen) method?

I hand applique.

I've picked up where I left off with DJ. It's good to get back to this project. Sorry, I don't have pictures ready to post but will at some later point. I'm about halfway through with the blocks and 1/2 with triangles.

SheriR

A couple of years ago I went to a Quilt exhibit for a lady named Kat Blakley. I was so excited to see her DJ! It was beautiful too but when I looked at it more closely, she'd picked all the easy blocks and had machine appliqued every block. I thought.... I can do THAT. Well, I've only hand Appliquéd mine too. LoL here is her Baby Jane.

Cre8tvlwyr

I was looking for one of the tutorials I put together for the last DJ thread but was not able to find the one I was looking for which was a lengthy tute for block J10 I did however find another you may think is useful regarding hand applique.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...ml#post6258975
It takes a little practice - you do get better over time. I've had two of the most amazing teachers (aside from my Mom) - Rita Verroca and Marguerite Heinisch - You've got to look up their works - amazing!!! and we are fortunate to have these lovely ladies in my neck of the woods!!
Gus

Cre8tvlwyr

I'm still looking for my hand applique tute!! But I did post a few other tutes. I tend to mix up all methods - hand/machine/applique/piece/paper-piece - and find some "different" ways of putting things together. Some seem awkward, but they work for me!! I will never (I think I can safely say that) ....wwell almost.... machine applique. I say almost because in some "child quilts" I have done so. I think with a nice decorative blanket stitch or invisible zig zag it looks passable but hand applique has such a nice rounded finish to your piece. Just try to make sure you use matching thread until you are comfortable with the look of your stitches.

The reason I combine methods - Sometimes, especially with small blocks like Jane's, when you make a mistake and need to "reverse sewing" the correction is made much faster and more accurately with a few carefully placed hand stitches.

I did give a detailed tute of I10 here:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...ml#post5901581

take a look at the original here.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...ml#post5899421

I actually posted a lot of tutes back then, so if you have a few minutes go through a few pages after that one. I also showed how easy it is to use small pieces of fabric for Jane's blocks. I found a fabric called "Crossroads to Texas" I used not only for J3, which has the look of many different prints in one blocks, but also fussy cut that fabric for 4-5 other blocks as well.

I found the tute!! YAY - start here:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...ml#post5939162

In post #2191 I also mentioned a great online video. Then I took some progressive pics of hand piecing 2193-4
(don't look at the very dirty finger nails!!)
Hope these help!
Gus

donac

My first couple were a little rough. The last one was pretty good. I may hold off until I go through the Mimi Dietrich applique class. I have on craftsy.

The group for DJ is using Aunt Reen's methods. She has done some groups like this in Virginia. We are the first group not in Virginia and she is not leading it. The quilt shop owner is working through the squares the month before. Meet once a month and get a list of squares to do. The first month was based on rotary cutting.
The second was paper piecing and the third was applique. We are doing 13 squares a month. Starting the second month we were supposed to do a triangle a week.
I am not up to date with all my squares. I still have 2 more paper piecing to do and 10 applique and I have not started my triangles. I can't sweat it. The next two months are going to be crazy with me getting ready to retire. I can really knock things out in July and august.

CindyA

OK, donac, that's what I was thinking when I read your comment. I took the 13 month class with Doreen (Aunt Reen)! You're among the first group of folks that are going through the quilt using her methods, but that she's not teaching. She is passing the torch because she's taught it so many times. I did not keep up, but tried to do as many as I could each month to practice each month after that technique was taught. I like how she has divided the blocks so that you're using one technique (usually, or two techniques like paper piece with a little applique) per month. Good luck!! I hope you enjoy the class as much as I did. I was able to get quite a lot done on my first DJ here on the board, but there's also something to meeting in person with people and knowing you're going to go to a class. That helped me keep up on my 'homework' I love seeing the pictures here of what everyone has accomplished.

Kmeyer

Well it has been quite awhile since my last post. My mom past away and it has taken me quite awhile to get her things in order and get back to my sewing but I have been busy trying to do a few blocks this week. I had to go back and check which blocks I posted last and I see I have not posted since I worked on H-10 and I am not working on I-12. I guess the board will only let me post 5 so I will post the remainder on a new message.
Karen

Kmeyer

Here are a few more of the blocks. For some reason I-3 and I-4 would not post so I will have investigate and re-post. Here are I-5 through I-9

Kmeyer

Here are the remainder and the chart. It seems good to be sewing again.