I am going to try to explain with words & pictures how I do machine applique. This method is the one used by a New Mexico quilter - J. Michelle Watts - from Roswell. She makes some beautiful quilts, & once I tried her way, I haven't gone back to any other way.

1. Trace all the pieces needed for the block onto the paper side of your favorite fusible. I like to use WonderUnder. Cut out each piece, leaving a small allowance outside the pencl lines. You will cut it down to size later. If the pieces are big enough, "window" them by cutting out the inside of the piece, leaving about 1/4" of fusible. It might help to sketch around the inside. Pick out the fabrics your blocks.

2. Iron the pieces, fusible side DOWN, onto the wrong side of your fabric.

3. Cut out the fused pieces on the drawn pencil line.

4. Using your pattern draw markings onto your background fabric to indicate where the pieces need to be placed. When you are pleased with how everything looks, pull the backing paper off & iron them down, following mfg., directions for your type of fusible.

5. Using matching thread, set up your machine for a regular zig-zag stitch, only set the width at about 1/8" wide and a short stitch length. You might want to fiddle with a scrap of fabric, stitching short rown until you find a combination you like. I have a Janome 6600 & I use a width of 1.8 max. & length of 0.8 max.

6. The red heart shows one side with contrasting thread & the other side with matching thread.

7. Stitch around the pieces, beginning with the pieces that are on the bottom & work your way up to the top. You don't need to backstitch. I start the heart at the top in the center valley. Stitch the piece down placing the right side of the zig-zag just off the applique piece and let the zag fall on the piece to the left. I stitch over the beginning stitched in the valley about2-3 stitches either zig-zag or zig-zag-zig so that I end up covering the first stitches.

When you come to a narrow pointy part, you will need to make your stitch narrower and maybe shorter. Stitch into the point, pivot and stitch back out, widening the width as you come back out. With practice, you will get the hang of this motion.

An open-toe embroidery foot makes this very easy to see. If you don't have an open-toe foot, consider getting one in the future. It also helps tremendously when paper piecing!

8. When you have reached the starting point, no need to back stitch, but rather pull the block out of machine & clip threads leaving a long enough tail to knot. Pull the top thread down to the back & tie a baker's knot (wrap the thread 2 times into the loop before tightening. I make 2 of these knots. Clip ends to about 1/2".

9. Stitch all pieces this way.

I hope I haven't confused anyone.

Great job. Beautiful block.

great explanation

Thanks!

well this is great because I am not experienced at applique' so this helps alot thanks

Nice Tute Kathy...it looks great! You are going to fly through this quilt doing it that way! The one question that I have is...do you get fraying when you wash it? It seems that the satin stitch would reduce it, but I just wonder. Thanks for doing the tute!

Well done.....thank you!

Fraying - no, not really. If it is going to fray, it usually does it while I'm zig-zagging. I have tiny blade curved snips that I use to clip off stray threads. I don't normally make bed quilts with applique - only wall hangings & they don't get washed much - I will toss them in the dryer to suck off the dust, though!

Great job, Kathy, on the tute. I have bookmarked it for future use. Your block is beautiful.

Great job! Love the pattern.

Thank you!

Thanks!!

Thanks!

This block is the first block to be sewn when the Affairs of the Heart Cyber Sew begins in June. The link to the thread is in my signature.

wonderful tute.

Wow!! Thank you SO much!! I have SO MANY things I have wanted to applique but have been so frustrated because I just can't get the needle under thing down. I'm going to practice this and see if I can get it to work for me. :D

Thanks, Kathy! Nice and clear. Love the block.

Thanks for the Tute Kathy, very clear, understood perfectly

Elle

I think we might get even more converts now, Kathy - it will be interesting to see in the next few days. Great tute!

I have been appliquing for years now and this is exactly the way I do it. Your directions were perfect the way you explained it.

I never thought of using an open toe presser foot. Thanks

Thanks for answering Kathy....I was thinking that there wouldn't be fraying doing it this way..I always get some with using the blanket stitch. I think I will like this MUCH better!!!

Great job thank you!

Thank you, there is so much to be learned about applique. I keep reading about it but so far I haven't tried. You seem to make a lot of sense to me . Thank you again.

Thanks!

great tutorial-hope I get my book soon
Looks like everyone is going to be done before the start date.

No, only a couple have JTGd. We are still collecting participants for this group! We will have everything ready to get rolling for the 5th of June.

Patti is still working out all the details of her AOTH, Elle is still waffling about background color, I am getting my plate cleared. I only did a block so I could get this tutorial up on the Board. There are several ladies who had started this quilt a long time ago, but stopped working on it. There are at least a couple who have already finished theirs - a long time ago. Probably the one who will beat all of us to the finish line will be Lesley. But we love her and she is such a big help with all sorts of things, that we let her work at her own pace. Don't want to stifle her creativity!

So we have wafflers, dither-ers, beavering-ers - all sorts, & we are one terriffic group!

Great tut. I would add that if you have any trouble with tunneling to use a tearaway stabilizer under your work

Great job...wonderful tute..

Thanks Kathy for the refresher course. This is the way I have done applique in the past. I never could get the hand applique to lie flat and even. I have book marked this so I can go back and refresh my memory.

I also like to trim out the center of the larger pieces of applique. If I could make a suggestion, move your needle to the far right, if your machine can do that, then you will be able to keep the edge of the applique along the foot and you'll have a guide to follow. Hope I said that right. Try it, it really helps you know where you are stitching. Your block does look great.

Since I have no Idea what I am doing I have been watching a video on applique' I purchased a kit 2yrs ago and it has thing to make stems and lots of circle so I am going to watch her again and hope I get it so I can start now cause It will take me until June to get one done

Thank you for sharing. I have never done applique and now you make me want to try.

I love to applique that way!

You're right, what a great tute, but I too wondered about no stabilizer being mentioned. I've been satin stitching machine applique for years and years and have been using EASY STITCH stabilizer, which is thick enough for heavy satin stitching, yet very easy to tear away. At the moment I'm working on a Nutcracker quilt for my 11 year old DGD who has been in the Nutcracker on Ice since she was three years old. I have the 12 Nutcrackers appliqued and now must add the border of 26 - 9" Churn Dash blocks with either paperpieced or embroidered centers. Photos of some of the nutcrackers are on http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-54022-1.htm#1290751. I had hoped to give it to her for last Christmas, but due to health problems, I'm now aiming for her 12th birthday on July 1. Please keep your fingers crossed that I can do it! Belles

I have to tell you, Kathy, I think I found my new favorite way to applique thanks to your tute. I had never tried it before and today I put together two blocks and really like doing it this way. I may have to rethink how I'm going to do AOTH.

Judy, Glad I could help you decide. I have been doing applique this way for about 3+ years - don't think I'll ever do it another way. You're right - it's so speedy!

Belles, I haven't ever needed or felt the need to use stabilizer with this method as the zig-zags are further apart than satin stitch applique. They are also narrow, so there isn't much room for tunneling. I keep my tension loose & that may help a bit. That & the fusible acts as a sort of stabilizer.

Belles, your nutcrackers are awesome. What an heirloom that will be for your granddaughter.

I had no problem with the zig-zag stitch at all and didn't use any stabilizer.

That is a lot of help for those of us that are needing help with applique. Thanks.

OH, no wonder you don't need stabilizer. I'm sorry I didn't realize your spacing was wider than the satin stitch. I've been using 1.5 width and .25 length, so that's why I need stabilizer. Thanks for the clarification and the tute. Belles

Kathy, you have done a wonderful job on this tutorial. How did you put your white lines on the black block? Did you use a light box?