OK.. this is for Sharon and a few other followers. It will take a few minutes to get it all in so be patient with me.

Needless to say the first step is to pick your block and the fabrics you will be using. The pattern I have chosen for this tute is "Spring Blossom".. I have selected a "focal" fabric and several others that co-ordinate with it because this block is to be one in a sampler that I am making.
Step # 2 is to trace the patterns onto clear plastic and cut out the templates.. These will be cut out without seam allowances.(We'll add them later). Mark all the templates with piece numbers, letters and any other identifying marks.
Step #3. See pic #1 marking pieces on the corresponding fabrics. Pic 2 and 3 are the petal pieces traced onto the chosen fabrics. Those tracing lines are your stitching lines for the pieces. You will now mark a second line 1/4" (approx) outside that line.. this is your cutting line.

The top picture here is the piece with the 1/4" seam allowance added.. on this fabric I used a "water erasable" marker and marked on the right side of the fabric. Once you have all of your pieces cut out.. including the basic quilt block that you will be appliqueing your design on (mine is a 12 1/2" square) I like to lay the pieces out on the background and make sure I like them. As you can see, even my quilt inspector (that's The Zoops) approves of it. It's much better to find out at this point that you don't like one of the fabrics than to wait until later. Happy with them? Great.. me too.
next I mark the block so I can place the pieces uniformly. in this case I just folded the background block and gently (with my fingers) put little creases in it to guide my placement. Now we're ready to progress with basting our seams.

OK.. now we're going to baste the seam allowances. I just use a fine quilting needle with a single thread and put a knot in one end. I'm going to start with the center circle and show you a little trick I like to use.. this one is slightly different from the petals.. so you'll learn 2 techniques. Since the center is a simple circle.. I cut a circle of moderately stiff cardboard the size I want the circle to end up. Now run a basting thread around the fabric circle you have cut out .. easy.. right.. OK.. now place the cardboard circle in the center and pull the thread to gather the fabric ring up so that it holds the cardboard in the center. then I take a little stitch to hold the gathers.. and at this point you can press it with a hot iron to reinforce the crease around the outside of the circle.
At this point you can remove the cardboard and the circle will usually hold it's shape. For the petals.. which aren't a smooth outer edge we'll progress a little differently.. for those you will fold the seam allowance to the wrong side of the fabric.. then run your basting stitches down the center of that 1/4". As you stitch along I finger press the crease along the outside of the pieces. Some folks will press these with an iron at this point.. but you don't have to. the basting will hold the fold.
After you have all of your pieces basted.. place them on the background and pin down to see how they look.

Now for the "real" sewing.. I hope these pictures are clear enough for you to see. Applique is the only time in hand piecing a quilt that I use knots in my thread. with a short to moderate thread in your needle I make a knot in the end.. then I will work the needle into the quilt piece's folded under edge and push the needle out right through the fold.
then I find where the edge of that quilt piece should meet the background and take a small stitch in the background fabric.the I slip the needle into the "hem" of the quilt piece and take another small stitch right next to the first one. You continue around the edge of the piece first taking a small stitch in the "hem" of the quilt piece.. then a small stitch in the background fabric.
Each time I take a stitch I try to line up my stitches so that the needle "piercing" of the fabric are right above each other.. does that make sense? if not let me know I'll try to clarify. I try to keep my stitches around 1/8" or so long.. and use only gentle tugging to keep things together.. you don't want to pull it too tight as that will pucker things up. When you have gone all around the piece or come to the end of the seam I bring the needle to the back of the backgound and taking a small stitch on the back in the seam allowance, I tie off that thread and prepare to start again.

As you can see in the next to last picture, I do not turn under and stitch areas that will be covered by another piece. It feels to me like that makes areas that are just too thick. I sure hope this is helpful.. if there is anything that will make a step clearer or something I can help with, please let me know.

As you can see.. I do have "students" that don't agree with my methods.. or maybe he didn't like the colors. That's Mr. Man and he is quite opinionated.

Thank you for the tute :D:D:D

Oh How neat - makes me feel like I can do it now ! :thumbup:
THANKS Tippy

I like your tutorial, but I thought the stitching was supposed to be invisible??

I am thinking that those are the basting stiches that she has on there then you go around doing the actual part that is hidden. I may be wrong, but that's what it looks like to me.

:)

It is.. the stitches you are seeing are basting stitches.. those come out when you get the little "invisible" ones in the edges of the pieces done.

Thanks so much! I just printed it all out. Love the way you explained and showed each step.

Great tute...thanks Tippy! (And I love your "helpers"..I have some that look suspiciously similar :lol:

Many thanks for the tutorial. Beautiful!

Great job Tippy. Love meeting another appliquer:) I just learned a new method and love it. Too bad I cant explain like you did.

Thanks, Tippy!

Thanks

Thanks for the tute. May be the inspiration I need.

I'm trying to improve my applique skills & this is a great tute! Thank you. I've been working on some blocks which have stems (like flower stems) that are quite narrow and I'm having trouble with the turned under part due to the fact that I can only turn under about 1/8" on each side or they will overlap & you can see it. Any helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can't really continue the block until I get the stems done & I've been at it for a couple of weeks now.

Thank You. I always wanted to applique. It is the first quilts I check out at any quilt shows. Are you able to turn under smaller pieces or do you have another tip up your sleeve. I'm a better hands on learner, then a book learner and you explained wonderfully with your pictures.

this is the method I use. I've tried others but this is what I come back to.

Great tutorial! Thank you for taking the time to post it.

Thanks for the tutorial,

You are the greatest Tippy!

Thank you so much for your wonderful tutorial!! :thumbup: I have always been afraid to try my hand at applique but you make it look so easy. I just might give this a try!!
:D :D :D :D

I do them all basically the same peppermint. I had one quilt started that had hundreds of little circles about the size of a dime.. I did the drawstring and cardboard circle trick.. then I stored them in old pill bottles.. when I took them out of the bottle they were sooo nicely creased!! It was a snap to stitch them. The same quilt also had small leaves and they also worked well with this technique.

If I am understanding the problem.. you end up with a "ridge" down the stem from 3 layers of fabric.. am I right?
Rather than decrease the size of the seams and risk them raveling (I refuse to do all that work to watch it fall apart) I will use a slightly wider seam and fold it in 1/3's so the stem may be a little thicker.. but you don't get that 3-d ridge down the stem. Make any sense? If I'm totally off base with what you're asking let me know.

Wonderful tute! Thank you. Now I can't wait to do one of my own.

Thanks, Tippy, for a good tute. I, too, love appliqué. Reminds me of my precious grandmother.

I hadn't thought of this tip, but I will try it. Thanks so much for a prompt reply to my cry for help. Your tutorial is very clear & it is appreciated. I used Roxanne's glue to secure the edges on one piece which certainly worked, but it made the seam hard to push the needle through and because of arthritis my knuckles are all swollen so I can't keep a thimble on my finger, & now it's getting pitted & sore. After this I may stick to machine applique. I am pretty good at that.

cat included? hehehehe, thanks for the tute, just a beginner in this...

So glad I went into the "Chat" area and someone suggested I take a look at your tutorial on applique.........you make it look so very easy. You have given me such hope that mmmmaaabe I can manage to follow your excellent directions. I am working on hearts and wondering if there is any trick that would be helpful for the center top of the heart. Have thought about sewing two heart together and then cutting from the back side of one so I can turn it before appliqueing. What do you think?

I think that any design with severe angles is tough. I often try 2 or 3 different ways with different "patterns" and see what I think works out best and what I think will hold up the best.. my recommendation would be to make a heart with the turning method.. used dryer sheets work really well for the back side.. just be sure to "use them up" as any retained fabric softener can leave a greasy spot on the hearts. Also the fabric softener sheets are lighter weight so work nicely.
Looking forward to knowing what you decided to try.

thanks Tippy!!

thanks for the tut. i love applique.

Tippy! Great Tutorial! I am working on a scrappy turkey that is applique. Your methods are great! I added my seam allowance to my templates, tho. I don't have a quarter inch ruler, so just added my seam allowances. I have not had alot of success with the gathering of circles. I just pinbasted my pieces onto the foundation cloth. Thanks for your tute, I am going to bookmark it. Ronda aka Sassysewer53

thank u. I understand so much more now.

i just pin my and do the turning with the needle Tippy you did a great tut

I love your "student", would like to give him a hug but I'll bet he'd be insulted.

Thank you for this great tut..........calla