Sewing Appliques Twice??
08-14-2025, 07:40 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2023
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Sewing Appliques Twice??
I have a question regarding sewing appliques twice- the first time using invisible machine applique to connect the pieces together (such as a tree with multiple branches), and the second time attaching the completed block to the background fabric.
From what I gather, the first time you use water soluable thread in the bobbin to connect the individual components. This means that when you actually sew the whole applique block to the background fabric, you must now use permanent thread and re-sew all of the invisible machine applique you already sewed once.
I don't see a need for this double effort, since you can securely glue the pieces together using temporary glue before attaching the bock to the background fabric. If, however, the above steps are what most appliquers use, then I am definitely "missing something", which is not surprising for me!
Can someone please explain what should be done and why? I feel like I'm going in circles and I don't know why! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
From what I gather, the first time you use water soluable thread in the bobbin to connect the individual components. This means that when you actually sew the whole applique block to the background fabric, you must now use permanent thread and re-sew all of the invisible machine applique you already sewed once.
I don't see a need for this double effort, since you can securely glue the pieces together using temporary glue before attaching the bock to the background fabric. If, however, the above steps are what most appliquers use, then I am definitely "missing something", which is not surprising for me!
Can someone please explain what should be done and why? I feel like I'm going in circles and I don't know why! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
08-14-2025, 09:27 AM
#4
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Location: Southern USA
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Sounds to me like someone wanted to have a new way to do an old method for recognition in the quilt world.( A new way to use more invisible thread, more sales.) These days the views and followers mean everything. Only way to be sponsored by big companies is to have high amount of views and media presence. I can't think of but a few known quilters that aren't sponsored, an influencer, or an ambassador for major quilt brands.
08-14-2025, 10:01 AM
#5
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Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
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I've never heard of that technique either, but I don't do a lot of applique, and I know there are almost as many methods as there are people who teach applique. Personally, I don't like using glue in a quilt, because I wind up with glue on my fingers, no matter how hard I try to be careful.
08-14-2025, 04:51 PM
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2023
Posts: 80
Thank you so much for your replies! It was something I read about, and now that I'm getting ready for another applique quilt, it popped back into my head. It always bothers me when I don't understand something, and I never even considered it might not be a commonly used practice!
