ladydukes

Where can I get/learn the best techniques, short cuts and help for needle turn applique? Any and all responses are appreciated!!

Plumtree

http://www.erinrussek.typepad.com/

She has a great tutorial on her site. She also has a BOM that is free but the center is for a fee but a reasonable fee. There are also several Youtube videos just search needle turn applique and they will keep you busy for a while :-) Happy learning today

soccertxi

I am a recent convert to needle turn...with a goal of learning to prep pieces as well! I have a love hate relationship with hand app. ..Until I found back basting. You trace your pattern on the back of your background, lay your applique fabric on top (both with right sides up...usual way), and then do a running stitch on the pattern line. I like hot green or pink thread. Trim a bit as you are ready so the edges don't fray, and then needle turn as you go. You take out the basting stitch and you are left with a line of holes to see where to turn the fabric back. Here is a link that got me started:

http://sentimentalstitches.net/instr...hand-applique/

I favor a straw needle (my quilt shop had a card with 3 sizes on it , so you could try the diff weights- I settled on an 11) and silk thread. I find the tiny needle combined with the silk thread (that just disappears!) make me look like I'm a better hand appliquer than I really am!

here is a link to Erin Russek. She does a tutorial on prepping pieces...and she has free BOMs that are very cute!

http://erinrussek.typepad.com/photos...ial/index.html
(if you try to start at the beginning and go thru in order, they are not numbered in order...just FYI)

Emma S

I did my first needle turn applique using Erin's Jingle BOM that others have referrenced. The shapes are easy but still interesting to do. I am now completing the fourth applique in the series and all of a sudden I can see some improvement, so there is some hope that I'm learning. I would say watch some videos then just jump in, the more you try the easier it gets. Not yet ready for Hawaiian Applique but having fun as I learn.

tessagin

The members here have shared some great links. You can also go to YouTube and check out the others on there!

lfstamper

Great info ladies - thanks for sharing.

MargaretH

Pieceocake.com has some good videos also

mckwilter

There are many wonderful needle-turn applique teachers with websites. Check out Karen Kay Buckley, Elly Sienkiewicz (pronounced sen-kev-itz), Sandra Leichner and Pearl Pereira. Sharon Schamber may have some tutorials. I found that my stitching definitely improved when I took a Hawaiian quilting class, which is doing a whole cloth single motif quilt. There are two Yahoo! groups called Applique Addicts - one of for needleturn and the other is for machine, so be careful if you decide to join that you pick the right one. There are many talented appliquers who belong to that group. Check with the LQSs in your area to see if they have a class. If you are lucky enough to have more than one LQS in your area, they will probably have different teachers, and you will learn different shortcuts, tips, etc. from all of them. If there are any quilt shows that have classes in your area, sign up there. One of the LQSs in this area also hosts the Applique Society meeting each month, so you might see if there's a chapter in your area.

IAmCatOwned

Your best bet is to start with a local teacher. If you are too far from such a store, then youtube is your best bet. Starting out with a heart is often recommended because you have to practice all the basics - inner points, outer points, curves. I made a quilt of my first 120 hearts - I could see my improvements over time. One hint - a toothpick is very useful in helping you get that fabric tucked in.

There are several methods for needleturn - basting, pinning, glueing... I'm sure there are others. I've been trying them all and find some work better for me than others on different types of projects.

Here's a youtube example. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube+applique&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=E45A59F3A29E5A2DB89AE45A59F3A29E5A2DB89A

woody

If your applique pattern has lots of circles then think about getting "Perfect Circles" by Karen Kay Buckley http://www.connectingthreads.com/too...y__d81770.html
I soooo wish that I had heard of these earlier, they really make circles easy IMHO. I also wish that I had heard about putting some batting in the circles, it would have given them a nice little lift.
I love this board, I learn something new every day!!!!