Now that you have your pieces all prepped from the Prep Tutorial, you are ready to stitch those beauties down! First, some things to know :) Remember, this is called needleturn for a reason - you use your needle to turn the fabric under, and we will be focusing on that a lot here. Secondly, the color of thread you use should match the piece of fabric you are appliquing as closely as possible. If you have nothing that even resembles it, then try to match to the background. But always try to match the applique piece first. In this example I used a slightly different color so you could see the stitches better. Thirdly, this is how I hold the needle...front view...and what's going on underneath... The middle finger that you see - it has the eye of the needle resting on it - does the hard work of pushing the needle through. You might want to use a thimble - I don't, but I am used to the motion and the skin on there is tough now! And as always, click on any photo to see a large view. __________________________________ 1) Choose a nice straight, or as close to straight as possible place to start. Don't start at a corner or anywhere something interesting is happening. You want a nice boring place to start! 2) Use the tip of your needle to turn under the seam allowance to the line you have drawn. 3) Bring up your needle from the back, up through the background, and just catch the very edge of your applique piece. 4) Put your needle back into the background, exactly next to where you came up. 5) Bring your needle back up approximately 1/8th inch away, up through the background and catching the very edge of the applique again.Have a look at my fingers in this photo - can you see the finger on the eye of the needle doing its job of pushing the needle through? You have now done your basic stitch! Keep going like this until you come to a curve or a point. On a simple curve, or a circle, just keep going, constantly using your needle to turn under, and also to tug the fabric out or push it in if it isn't smooth and even. I usually only take 2 or 3 stitches before I start turning under the fabric ahead of me. 6) Sooner or later you will need to do a sharp concave curve. Usually on a star or a heart. This is the point you stitch to, and then stop...Now start to make your stitches tiny and use a sweeping motion like a window washer on your car to turn under the seam allowance. Because this is hard to explain, I made a little video to help make it easier for you. First, a photo of the beginning of the motion, then the video. This is how the completed curve will look...I have used a different color thread so the stitches will show up better for you, but if you use one that matches the piece of fabric you are appliquing, these tiny stitches will barely show. Do them as close together as possible, since there is hardly any seam allowance in these spots. Next comes a point. I find these trickier than the curves, but don't worry, after a few wonky points you will get it! 7) Go to the top of the point until you reach the end of your marked line. Take your stitch, and then do another one in the exact same spot. This will be extremely helpful to you as it sets that point in place for when you flip under the seam allowance. 8) Using the tip of your needle, flip under the point, and run your needle along under to get it nice and smooth. When you take your stitches here, they will help to pull in any bumps. 9) Keep going and before you know it, you will have a whole shape stitched down! Just take it one piece at a time and pretty soon you will have a whole block done, and perhaps you will be as addicted as me! Remember, stitch the shapes on the bottom first and work your way up to the top pieces. In this example, I stitched the pieces in the following order: 1-Stem 2-Star 3-Circle 4-Leaves
Over the last couple of weeks, I've been learning how to do needle turn applique; the second and third borders in the Midnight at the Oasis quilt involve a lot of applique, something I haven't done a lot of. I will be talking more about the different applique options in my QAL post this Friday, but this is a fairly long tutorial so I thought I'd dedicate a whole post to it :o) Needle turn applique (where you turn the raw edge of the applique piece under with your needle as you sew it to the foundation piece) seems to be the holy grail of applique techniques. Certainly with practice you can achieve some pretty remarkable results. For me, one of the gurus of needle turn is Sarah Fielke - and I am lucky enough to have a DVD (that came with an issue of Quilters Companion magazine) where Sarah demonstrates her technique. The technique for needle turn applique I'll demonstrate here is based pretty closely on Sarah's technique. I have Sarah's permission to share this here - but you can also learn this technique via Sarah's Craftsy class, or by purchasing the same DVD I have used through her website (you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the linked page) (Disclaimer - I am not affiliated with Craftsy or with Sarah's store at all, I just wanted to let you know where you can learn more!) One of the brilliant things about this applique technique is that it takes very little preparation, and it is extremely portable. Making your Templates: The first thing you'll need to do is make templates of your applique shape. There are a few ways you can do this - trace the shape onto template plastic and cut it out. Or (as suggested by Sarah) use Quick Laminate sheets (available from office supply stores). I've been using these to make my templates for my hand-pieced Bring Me Flowers BOM blocks, and it is so quick and easy. You just peel back the top clear sticky layer, put your photocopy of the template on the bottom card sheet, smooth the sticky layer back over it and cut out your template. This is such a genius method! Preparing your Fabric: Once you've cut your background fabric to size, you'll need to mark both the diagonals on your fabric. To do this, you can use a dissolvable fabric marker, or a hera marker. To prepare your applique shape, you will need to trace around your prepared template onto the right side of your fabric. Sarah recommends using a silver gel pen for this - which is what I've been doing and it works brilliantly. It makes it easy to see your stitching line since it glitters slightly, and the gel inks sits on top of the fabric and mostly wears away as you're stitching around the shape. Any remaining pen should wash away when you wash the quilt (and honestly it's barely noticeable anyway.) Trim your fabric to a scant 1/4 inch around the edge of the shape. Once you're ready to start sewing, finger press around the line you've drawn onto your fabric shape - this will make it easier to turn the edge under when you are sewing it down. Needle Turn Applique: Find the centre on your background fabric, and pin the applique piece in place. I found by turning under one side of the centre point, I could pin it pretty close to the intended position. Line the other end up as well and pin in place. Use a thread that is matched to your applique piece, rather than the background. If you're stitching is a little off (like mine) it won't be nearly as noticable. I've been using Aurifil 50wt in colours that are reasonably close to the applique colours, and it's worked really well. To start, tie a knot in the end of your thread (I use this method). Take your needle up through the applique piece (not the background) right on your drawn line. Turn under the first little bit of the seam allowance with your needle, right where you've bought the needle through. For your first stitch, put the needle down into the background fabric right next to where you came through the applique piece, and travel a small way under the fabric before bringing your needle back through. Catch a few threads on the applique piece, and bring your needle all the way through, gently pulling the thread tight. Turn the next section of seam allowance under with your needle, and stitch down into the background right next to where you came through the applique piece. Again, travel a short distance (about 1/4") under the background, before bringing the needle back up through and catching a few threads of the applique piece. Continue stitching in this way around the edge of your applique piece until you get to the point. Bring your needle out right at the point. Make an extra stitch right at the point of your applique shape. Use your needle to turn in the seam allowance at the point - this is a little tricky to start with, but if you turn too much under you can gently tug on the thread to bring the point out again. Then, continue stitching around the applique piece. Once you've stitched all the way around, take your needle through to the back and either make a small knot, or do a couple of tiny stitches on top of each other to finish the thread. And that's it! My shapes aren't perfect, but I'm getting better with practice. I didn't think I'd enjoy this part all that much - but it is actually really relaxing. The more I do hand work the more I love it :o) Any questions please don't hesitate to ask! I'll be back on Friday with a few more ideas for applique techniques you could use. xx Jess
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Nancy Lee Chong is an applique fiber artist that uses needle turn method to create her details pieces of art.
Inkscape is a vector illustration program so most people think of it as an art program for producing slick graphics. But it’s a really useful tool for planning an preparing for other art for…
Without wishing to sound like a stuck record, I absolutely love hand sewing. I hand sewed my first quilt in my late teens/early twenties by the English Paper Piecing method.... as you can tell, the going out night clubbing phase seemed to pass me by! 20 'ahem' years later, I still love EPP, but I also 'now love' appliqué..... I say 'now love', as I am sure like many of you, I believed up until a few years ago, that applique in particular needle turn applique, was something only the most skilled and seasoned quilter could master...... it's a bit like Foundation Paper Piecing....it's one of those techniques that you can easily talk yourself out of, without even trying. I hasten to add, before you shoot me down in flames, that clearly some of the more detailed designs that I swoon over on Pinterest have clearly been sewn by extremely skilled and seasoned quilters. I guess what I am trying to say is, give it a go.... start simple and build from there....as with anything, the more that you do, the more your confidence increases and your skills become greater........it's all about finding the method of applique that you are most comfortable with. To keep things simple, for most applique projects and certainly for those that I have designed and sewn so far, there are three different methods that you can choose from: 1. Raw Edge ~ for this method, you first use a double sided adhesive interfacing to adhere you applique to the background before sewing it in place, leaving the edge of the applique raw and open to fraying. You can find a detailed tutorial that I wrote back in 2013 for this method HERE. 2. Interfacing Method ~ for this method, you prepare your applique shapes using 'sew in' interfacing, prior to hand sewing on to your project. It gives the look of 'needle turn' but does I think, seem slightly less scary to undertake! You can find a detailed 'a little happy' tutorial HERE. 3. Needle Turn ~ for this method, as the name suggests, you use your needle to turn under the seam allowances as you hand sew the applique in place. This is the method that I was most daunted by and hopefully today, I can share some tips that will give you the confidence to give it go. Before I do, I just wanted to re share this picture of the appliqued floral wreath I made this time last year. For this small design, I used a variety of techniques including both Needle Turn and the Interfacing Method.....can you tell which flowers were sewn from which? The point I'm trying to make is that it doesn't really matter....I'm happy with how it turned out and that surely is what is important. So let's talk Needle Turn applique..... There are many different techniques for needle turn applique, but having tried various ways, watched and read lots of tutorials I now favour two different methods. The first and probably the most well known, is where I use a drawn line as a guide for my seam line/turning line. I used this method when I made my Perfect Pairs quilt. Take care with your choice of pens/pencils, ultimately as you will be turning the fabric directly on the line, you shouldn't have any on view once you have appliqued the shape. Personally I steer away from any permanent markers, just to be on the safe side! EDITED: I forgot to say that I find a sandpaper board very useful, as it holds the fabric in place when I'm marking the line. To prepare the heart applique, I used my acrylic 2 part template, available HERE, which allows for a 1/4" seam allowance. For larger shapes such as the heart, I have found it absolutely fine to work with a 1/4" seam allowance, however as the applique shapes get smaller, so will the seam allowance need to. A scant 1/4" is good and maybe down to an 1/8" if the shape is really small.... what you do not want is bulk. I also find it helpful to finger crease along the 'turning' line....take care however not to stretch the fabric, particularly where the fabric is cut on the bias. The only other prep required is on concave curves, where I need to snip the seam allowance to allow me to turn it under when sewing. Snip almost but not quite to the seam line. Examples of this are on the heart applique below.... ....and can you see on this shape, which is the 'cream' on the figgy pudding, I added three snips. Basically, you'll need to snip a concave (inward) curve, but convex (outward) curves you'll find you can just turn the seam. Before I talk abut the sewing part, I want to talk about the other method of preparation that I use and the one that has caused a bit of stir when I've shared some pictures. This is the method that Atsuko Matsuyama recommends. Unlike all the methods that I had previously seen where the Freezer paper is adhered to the reverse side of the applique, for this method, you cut the freezer paper to the finished applique shape size and then iron this shiny/wax side down, to the RIGHT side of the fabric. Then free hand, cut out the applique allowing for your seam allowance.... on these small applique shapes which are from my Warm and Cozy mini quilt, I eye balled a scant 1/4" seam allowance. As I did before, I find it helpful to finger press the turning line before I start sewing. Then rather than using the drawn line, you turn the fabric following the edge of the freezer paper. I have found that having something with substance to 'turn' against has made the process so much easier! You keep the freezer paper in place until you have appliqued the shape and then, peel it off. Keep all the papers as you can reuse them quite a few times before the become non sticky! Finally, a note on pins, needle and threads. Before you can sew your applique you will need to secure it in its position on the background fabric. There are various glues on the market, personally I have not used them, so I can not comment. I'm a pinner! I have for many years favoured Clover Applique Pins.... they are really short, the benefit being that your thread is less likely to get tangled up in them. For standard quilting weight cottons.... I love them...however I am currently sewing a Liberty Tana Lawn applique quilt 'Liberty Periodical' which is going to be a new Block of the Month in January. Tana Lawn is so much finer than quilting weight cotton and requires much finer pins. For this project I am using Tulip Applique Pins, they're a tad longer than the Clover Pins, but much finer and very sharp! My needle of choice for applique are Clover Black Gold Applique Sharps in either size 9 or 10's. Historically my thread of choice and one that I am consistently happy with, is Aurifil 50wt 100% cotton (orange spools). It's a fantastic multi purpose thread, great for machine, hand, EPP and applique. However......just to throw a little spanner in to the works, Aurifil have introduced a new 80wt thread on very sweet wooden spools. This is a super fine,100% cotton thread, which has taken the quilting world by storm. Some quilters have had enormous success using 80wt for both machine and hand sewing, including EPP and applique. Personally, I'm still a 50wt girl as I want to get the most value out of my thread, however I am a complete convert for applique.... 80wt is an absolute dream......it is so fine the stitches almost disappear! The only other thing that you'll need to know before we get sewing is that the rule is, to match your thread colour to the applique fabric rather than the background. So, with all that said......let's get stitching! To start, make a knot in your thread and then bring your needle from underneath the applique seam allowance through to the front, literally as close to the edge of the paper as you can get without nipping it. I always, if the shape allows start sewing on a straight edge, and away from a corner or point. Then use the tip of your needle to gently push the seam allowance underneath your applique...this is where if you have finger creased the seam in advance, it makes it so much easier. Just to mention, I turn about 1/2" worth of seam allowance at a time and then hold it down with my thumb on my non sewing hand. When you're ready to make your first stitch, in one movement, take your needle vertically through to the back of the background fabric skimming the fold line and then bring it back up to the front a smidge along to the left......bring it through so that it is just the teeniest bit underneath the applique shape, so that you just nip the edge of the applique fabric. By doing this you will ensure that your stitches are small and neat and as non visible as possible.... try to keep your stitches close together, you don't want big gaps in between. Continue along the edge of your applique shape. I find that the freezer paper on top of the applique shape, holds the applique rigid and gives you something firm to fold against. It's like tucking a sheet under a mattress! When you approach a point or corner, you are going to have deal with the extra bulky seam allowance. I didn't on the leaf in the example, but you may wish if there is a lot of excess fabric, to nip off the tip of the point, leaving just a scant 1/4". (for this next step think hospital corners like those that your mum taught you!) Fold under the excess seam allowance on the tip of the applique, so that the fold line is almost at a 90 degree angle to the seam line that you've been sewing. Hold it under with your non sewing hand, and then continue sewing until you reach the tip of the point. Secure the point by sewing a couple of teeny over stitches. Then turn the corner and continue along the applique shape as before, using your needle to turn under the seam allowance. Remember to keep your stitches as small as possible. As I mentioned earlier, on convex curves, like that shown below, you'll be able to turn under and sew the seam allowance, exactly as you would on a straight edge. Sew all round until you reach your starting point and then knot of securely at the back of the fabric. If the shape has a concave curve, by snipping the fabric you'll be able to turn under the seam allowance right into the curve. Where you have cut the fabric, by not quite snipping to the fold line, there is still some fabric that turns under, all bit it the most minuscule amount, but enough that you can get your needle and thread in to to secure and obviously to prevent it from fraying. Before I talk about circles, I just want to clarify that I do not cut away the background fabric under the applique as some may, I'm happy with all the layers. I thought it may be useful to also mention how I prepare circles for applique. There are lots of different ways, but I've now settled pretty much on these. For larger circles, I have found that I have best results with either needle turning using the freezer paper method above or I make them using the interfacing method. But when they get small and if you slightly deviate from that perfect curve it becomes so noticeable .... I've found the method recommended by Sarah Fielke to be really helpful. First off, you make some cardboard circles, to the size dictated by your pattern. I cut mine from an old cereal boxes. I then keep and reuse them. Cut the fabric approx 1/4" larger than the cardboard circle, I eye ball this. Then using silver foil, make a little parcel wrapping the fabric around the cardboard circle, take your time with this. Then iron, the heat marks a crease on the circumference and folds under the seam allowance, leaving you with perfect little circle ready to applique in place. If you do get any points on the curve, which are generally caused by a pleat in the seam allowance.....these can be dealt with when you applique in place...you can have a little play with the pleat and smooth it out, then secure with the stitch. The only other thing with regards to applique is how to make Bias Stems.... personally I use a bias maker and you can read my 'a little happy' tutorial for how do this HERE. Before leaving ...... just in case you were wondering...... for the light and dark blue flowers, I used the interfacing method.....for the centre circles I used the cardboard and foil applique technique and for the little red flowers and bow I needle turned, using the freezer paper technique. If you fancy having a practice, you can find the applique templates for these flowers HERE. I hope that you have found this tutorial useful and have managed to make it through to this point! If you do have any questions, please ask away and I will do my best to answer them. See you next week, when I'll be sharing the Warm and Cozy mini quilt pattern.
Nancy Lee Chong is an applique fiber artist that uses needle turn method to create her details pieces of art.
I was asked to do a tutorial on needle turn valleys and the deep V. So lets get started. As you can see from the photo I have drawn a thin...
Camelia Wreath and Bluebird will finish as 16" x 16" block. It is done with needleturn appliqué but is easily adaptable to your favorite appliqué method. Instructions for downloading digital patterns: After you have made your purchase, please do the following to download your files. 1: Sign in to Etsy.com and go to Your account. 2: Go to Purchases and reviews. 3: Next to the order, select Download Files. This goes to the Downloads page for all the files attached to your order. 4. Click the download link and save your files to your desired folder of choice (for Windows Operating Systems, the default location is the “Downloads” folder of your computer/This PC).
I was asked to do a tutorial on needle turn valleys and the deep V. So lets get started. As you can see from the photo I have drawn a thin...
PANDEMONIUM QUILT TUTORIAL # 1 - Basic Applique. Hello Everyone, Having consulted Janet Treen ( thanks Janet!) as to how to do this tutorial with multiple photos, I thought I'd start with a basic applique and then go on to the different applique blocks in the Pandemonium Quilt and after, go on to the pieced blocks. ( if anyone has a suggestion as how I should tackle this, please let me know) I'll proceed with the way I usually approach my applique. After you've opened up your applique sheets, cut up the big sheets into the blocks, it is probably easier to handle. Number the applique motifs in the block from #1 to whatever, however, instead of numbering the different parts of the shape as #1,#2,#3 etc, use #1/1, # 1/2, # 1/3 and so on. Do same for the freezer paper templates,this way, when you cut up the different bits, it will be easier to find, see photo of the freezer paper diagram below: I would also put those slash marks as in the photo, you'll see later why I would do this. And when you cut up the shape, don't cut right through, leave a tiny bit of paper hanging, see photo below. I use a craft knife to cut my freezer paper templates. I usually do this as I cut out all my freezer paper templates in the one go and store them in a zip lock bag till I'm ready to do the fabric cutting. Leaving the bird above as a unit will make it easier to find. Having chosen your background fabric, transfer the design onto the fabric. Use a light box, and if you don't have a light box but have a glass top coffee table, put a lamp under the glass top. Failing this, go the the picture framing store and purchase a glass sheet, cover edges with masking tape, place the glass sheet on 2 stacks of telephone books and slide a lamp under the glass. On the background fabric, I also write the numbering ( the same ones as on the paper sheet). It is going to be covered up with the applique fabric anyway and it is going to make it easier for you to find the matching freezer paper templates. Having done this, we come to the fun part, choosing the fabrics and cutting up the pieces. ( I love this part, scissors clippping away) Now, you can dismember the bird template and iron them onto the right side of the print fabric. I don't know if you've ever tried this pen, it is called " Frixion" and on it it says " remove by friction" I've used this pen to mark around the shapes. It is rather effective and when ironed, the black marks disappear. It also comes in various colours. Perhaps it is best to do a test for yourself, just in case it damages the fabric. Better safe than sorry. Otherwise, use a 2B pencil. Notice that I've extended the slash markings onto the fabric, I'll be using these to position the different parts of the bird. Like in the next photos, I also baste the pieces with a running stitch close to the seam line. Or, you can use the Roxanne Glue with the needle like tip. Now, you are ready to needle turn applique, it is really easy. Trim the seam allowance to about 1/8", but in a big piece like the coral tree, only trim about an inch or so at a time, or the fabric will start to fray. Use a small needle, number 12 or 10, I usually use the silk threads or the Aurifill thread. Just in case you've noticed, I'm a left handed person ! so may be you'll need a mirror to see the mirror image. Sorry - but I can't applique with my right hand. I think this is probably why I get lost when I'm driving. When you get to a point, do a double stitch, then stuff the fabric in, press it with your finger and stitch down, easy peasey. You now have all the parts of the motif that need to go under the body done. Trim the seam alllowance a little bit. Using those slash marks as guides, position the body of the bird. And baste or glue the body close to the seam line. Applique, When you get to the tip of the beak, stitch down twice, And again push in the fabric, press with your finger and continue applique. It's not hard is it? The concave curve - there are a lot of these in my patterns. Fear not. It is really a cinch. Clip the concave curve and just sweep the seam allowance in with your needle, press with your finger and applique away. That was simple ... Concave curves must result in convex ones as in the tail end of the bird. Push the fabric in small bits at a time, press with finger and sew - repeat this till you have all the bumpy bit sewn up. If you try to push the whole bump in the one go, you'll probably end up with a lot of fraying, with me anyway! Voila, the bird is done! Easy isn't it ? Righto ( that's Oz speak for OK) - this ends the first tutorial. I hope you manage to get something out of these ramblings! Let me know if you would like me to cover other aspects of the applique basic. If I know how to do it, I'll certainly try and show you. I've tried all sorts of methods when I first started doing applique, I still find the needleturn as described above the simplest. Please, if you have other methods, do a post and we can all learn something. If you want to do a post, please email Janet Treen, see the column on the right side, you can join in as a contributor and post your photos or tips. Next time, I'll start on the Pandemonium applique blocks. I'll try and explain how I go about choosing fabrics for the block and what aspects of the block to watch out for. Cheers, Kim McLean
Nancy Lee Chong is an applique fiber artist that uses needle turn method to create her details pieces of art.
Now that you have your pieces all prepped from the Prep Tutorial, you are ready to stitch those beauties down! First, some things to know :) Remember, this is called needleturn for a reason - you use your needle to turn the fabric under, and we will be focusing on that a lot here. Secondly, the color of thread you use should match the piece of fabric you are appliquing as closely as possible. If you have nothing that even resembles it, then try to match to the background. But always try to match the applique piece first. In this example I used a slightly different color so you could see the stitches better. Thirdly, this is how I hold the needle...front view...and what's going on underneath... The middle finger that you see - it has the eye of the needle resting on it - does the hard work of pushing the needle through. You might want to use a thimble - I don't, but I am used to the motion and the skin on there is tough now! And as always, click on any photo to see a large view. __________________________________ 1) Choose a nice straight, or as close to straight as possible place to start. Don't start at a corner or anywhere something interesting is happening. You want a nice boring place to start! 2) Use the tip of your needle to turn under the seam allowance to the line you have drawn. 3) Bring up your needle from the back, up through the background, and just catch the very edge of your applique piece. 4) Put your needle back into the background, exactly next to where you came up. 5) Bring your needle back up approximately 1/8th inch away, up through the background and catching the very edge of the applique again.Have a look at my fingers in this photo - can you see the finger on the eye of the needle doing its job of pushing the needle through? You have now done your basic stitch! Keep going like this until you come to a curve or a point. On a simple curve, or a circle, just keep going, constantly using your needle to turn under, and also to tug the fabric out or push it in if it isn't smooth and even. I usually only take 2 or 3 stitches before I start turning under the fabric ahead of me. 6) Sooner or later you will need to do a sharp concave curve. Usually on a star or a heart. This is the point you stitch to, and then stop...Now start to make your stitches tiny and use a sweeping motion like a window washer on your car to turn under the seam allowance. Because this is hard to explain, I made a little video to help make it easier for you. First, a photo of the beginning of the motion, then the video. This is how the completed curve will look...I have used a different color thread so the stitches will show up better for you, but if you use one that matches the piece of fabric you are appliquing, these tiny stitches will barely show. Do them as close together as possible, since there is hardly any seam allowance in these spots. Next comes a point. I find these trickier than the curves, but don't worry, after a few wonky points you will get it! 7) Go to the top of the point until you reach the end of your marked line. Take your stitch, and then do another one in the exact same spot. This will be extremely helpful to you as it sets that point in place for when you flip under the seam allowance. 8) Using the tip of your needle, flip under the point, and run your needle along under to get it nice and smooth. When you take your stitches here, they will help to pull in any bumps. 9) Keep going and before you know it, you will have a whole shape stitched down! Just take it one piece at a time and pretty soon you will have a whole block done, and perhaps you will be as addicted as me! Remember, stitch the shapes on the bottom first and work your way up to the top pieces. In this example, I stitched the pieces in the following order: 1-Stem 2-Star 3-Circle 4-Leaves
EJ022 Lovely Liberty Finished Cushion Size: 40cms x 40cms (16'' x 16'') The Lovely Liberty cushion features needleturn appliqué and hand quilting. The perfect smaller project to take with you as it is all done by hand. The pattern also includes instructions for a button back. This is a downloadable PDF, being instantly delivered to your email after your purchase is complete. Your download will only be available to download a limited amount of times. Please remember to save on your computer and print as required. Pattern is for one person use only. Do not copy, redistribute or sell. You may sell cushions made using this pattern on a small independent scale. Please credit the pattern to Emma Jean Jansen. Any questions please email me! info [@] emmajeanjansen.com.au
My first tutorial by request. I am going to show you how to do points on needle turn applique and tomorrow I will show you how to do them us...
Let Nancy open up for you a new world of possibilities devoted to appliqué. She shares hints about fabric selection, fabric placement, and her stress-free techniques for needleturn appliqué so you will be able to make whatever your heart desires. This ebook includes two blocks: a wreath with berries and a bird, and a papercut design. You can complete these as first blocks in a Baltimore Album quilt or make a table runner, pillows or a 4-block wall hanging. You will also learn a little about the history of nineteenth-century quilts. You will also discover links to some short video clips where Nancy shows you her technique in action. Suitable for All levels. OUTLINE Part One History and characteristics of classic, papercut, primitive and red & green quilts Bibliography Preparation of background fabric Preparation of appliqué fabric pieces Use of lining fabrics Methods for choosing fabrics for your quilt Preparation of stem fabric Part Two Needle threading tricks and techniques Quilter’s knots Basic appliqué techniques Straight line Point (a mountain) Outside curve Reverse point (a valley) Folded fabric bird beak Very easy skinny stems (an alternative technique) Part Three Embroidery embellishments Surprise technique (for future Baltimore Album quilts) Part Four Papercut (scherenschnitte) style blocks – fabric preparation Basic appliqué techniques Inside curve Part Five Finish options for your Baltimore blocks Appliquéd dogtooth border Batting and quilting options Background Fabric We will be making two blocks in this ebook. Each block will be finished at 12" x 12". For the 12" finished block size: cut background fabric 16" x 16" OR use a fat quarter and know that you can cut it down to size when the appliqué is completed Baltimore style quilts (and those made up and down the Eastern Seaboard during the heyday of the Baltimore album quilts) were most often made using white or muslin fabric for the backgrounds. This is, however, your quilt. You can use any background fabric you want. Generally, avoid using medium-value fabric or fabric that has high-contrasting elements in the print. When you use medium-value background fabric, you restrict your choices for appliqué fabric to either very light or very dark fabrics. The medium appliqué fabrics will not show up well on that background. If you choose a background fabric with high-contrasting elements in the print, the focus of the quilt block becomes the background print, instead of all the work you put into the appliqué design. Should you decide to use a dark background, do not feel obligated to use only solid black. Consider black-on-black, very dark navy blue, maroon, purple or green. Your quilt will have a different look than someone who chose a light background, but these choices can be absolutely stunning. Appliqué Fabric Wreath Block: Various scraps of fabric for your appliqué motifs. In this quilt block, we will use a brown or green for the stems, various greens for the leaves, fabric suitable for grapes or berries, and fabric for a bird. Remember that you can choose fantasy colors for each of these elements; they do not have to be realistic colors. Beige tone-on-tone background with variety of appliqué fabrics Papercut Block: You will need a 12" x 12" piece that will be appliquéd onto your background fabric. Choose a solid color fabric, or one that appears almost solid, for the most successful effect. If you choose a print that has a lot going on or has highly contrasting elements, the viewer is less likely to pay attention to the pattern and more to the fabric. Pattern In Part One, you will need to print the wreath pattern and the papercut pattern shown above. They will each finish to a 12" block (or larger, if you prefer). In Part Four, I will present the methods for preparing and sewing the folded papercut block. Supplies Needles:I strongly recommend you try a milliner or straw needle, size 10 or 11. Milliner and straw needles, here in the US, are two different names for the same needle. Technically, there are many types of milliner needles, all designed for sewing hats. The straw needle was designed for sewing straw hats. I think they are perfect for needleturn appliqué because they are thin and long. I will refer to the needle as a straw needle in this ebook. I suggest a size 10 or 11 because they are thin. Thin needles are easier to use because they pierce the fibers with less effort and with less strain on your hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. In choosing a needle, you need to be aware that the higher the needle size, the shorter and thinner that needle is. I do not recommend using any needle for hand appliqué with a size smaller than 10. I prefer a long needle because it is easier to manipulate the seam allowance when I tuck it under using the needleturn techniques you will learn in this ebook. Some suggested brands you may find in your local fabric stores are: John James, Foxglove Cottage, Colonial Needles, Richard Hemming & Sons (labeled milliner), and Bohin (appliquér longues, not available in size 11). Outside the US you might be familiar with Milward. Thread: The most important decision you will make in appliqué is which needle to use. The second most important decision is the thread that best matches your appliqué fabric. I always take my appliqué fabric to the store when choosing thread. I lay one strand of the thread against my fabric to make the best decision. Do not lay the entire spool of thread next to the fabric; you are only seeing the thread lay against itself. If you find a perfect match, great. Often, you are not that lucky. If you find two spools that are close, but not perfect, here is a helpful hint about which spool to select. Take into consideration the value (relative lightness or darkness) of your background fabric. If you have a darker background than your appliqué fabric, choose the thread that is slightly darker. If your background fabric is lighter than the appliqué fabric, select the thread that is slightly lighter. I prefer to use 100% cotton thread, not because I am a purist about fiber content, but because it is easier to thread the thin needles I use. If I find the perfect thread color in a poly-cotton thread, I will use it, but I will change my needle to a size 10 straw needle so the eye is a little larger. I use Aurifil thread (size 50/2), but you can use any brand of thread with a size 60/2, 50/2 or 50/3. Machine embroidery thread is 60/2 and all-purpose sewing thread is 50/3. As with needles, the higher the size of the thread, the thinner the thread. Silk thread is also an option. I suggest YLI size 100 thread, as it is extremely thin and will disappear along the appliquéd edge. Silk thread is very slippery, however, and may cause some frustration which cotton does not. I suggest YLI size 100 thread, as it is strong enough and is extremely thin, and will disappear along the appliquéd edge. Silk thread acts like a chameleon, and changes its color depending on what is in its surrounding environment as long as the thread is a similar value to the fabric. It is an excellent choice if you are using a multicolored piece of appliqué fabric. Other Supplies straight pins Clover 1/4" Bias Tape Maker (do not use any other brand). rotary cutter, rotary ruler, rotary cutting mat pencil empty cardboard roll (such as the core for toilet paper or paper towels) Ruler I recommend using a 3/16" (5mm) turn under seam allowance in the appliqué that I do, so you may want a ruler so you can see just how much that is. Using too little seam allowance, in my opinion, causes most of the problems with appliqué. Temporary chalk-like marking pencils (light one for marking on dark fabric and colored one for on light fabric). I have had success with Pat Campbell’s white pencils and Clover’s Water Soluble Pencils (white, blue, pink). You can use any temporary marking tool that you have confidence in. Do not use the markers that disappear over time. You can use any marking tool that you have confidence in. When you read the methods I use for marking the background, you will see that a temporary marking tool makes this all much easier. Embroidery hoop (I prefer 5", 6" or 7" hoop but any size will work). In Part Three, we will discuss some embellishment techniques, including embroidery. Embroidery thread In Part Three, I will share two different (very easy) techniques for embroidered stems. If you choose to use one of those two techniques, you will want three different values (shades) of the same color as your stem fabric. Optional Throughout the parts, I am going to be introducing you to alternatives for various processes. Below are some supplies that you may want to own if you choose some of those alternatives. Pattern Transfer Paper. This is a chalk-coated paper that can be used to mark patterns onto dark background fabrics. You might want to wait until you read the first part before you purchase this. If you are using a light background fabric, you will not need this supply at all. Saral©, Chacopy©, and Dritz© are some of the different brands available in stores. On our Web site we provide a Saral product "Pattern Transfer Paper" that is 18" x 24". Bleached white fabric of good quality and thickness. This will be used as a lining in Part One. It will not be used by everyone. Lightweight vinyl or lightweight interfacing for overlay method. See how it is used in Part One and make your decision then. Light box. This is any clear or translucent flat surface that has a light or light source behind it. Examples of light boxes you may already have: window, sliding glass door, glass coffee table, acrylic extension table on sewing machine, piece of glass or plastic laid on an open drawer or laid across the opening in your dining room table when you pull it apart to add an extension leaf. With a lamp or flashlight placed underneath, the light shines through the flat surface so yo
Nancy Lee Chong is an applique fiber artist that uses needle turn method to create her details pieces of art.
Further Adventures with Freehand Applique
Here’s my latest needleturn applique project, some sweet little songbirds. The background newsprint fabric is by Tim Holtz, and I think it sets the birds off really nicely; it’s a neutral, but with enough interest that it’s not boring. I’m creating simple patterns from photos. These are very small 4" blocks, so I can’t add too much detail or it gets too intricate to stitch. I’m not sure what project I’ll make with these. I’d love to do enough for a small art quilt, maybe about 24x36". I’m using some funky textured sequins, trimmed to size, for the pupils of the eyes. Have you seen all the amazing sequins that are available these days? Check them out on Cartwright’s Sequins. I’m getting some requests for a pattern for this, but I’m hesitant. I haven’t done patterns in ages! Would you be interested in a pattern for these little birdies?
Nancy Lee Chong is an applique fiber artist that uses needle turn method to create her details pieces of art.
100 Days of Organic Applique - The Book!
I was asked to do a tutorial on needle turn valleys and the deep V. So lets get started. As you can see from the photo I have drawn a thin...
Through years of teaching, Angela Lawrence has been searching for just the right book to visualize the full range of needleturn appliqué techniques. With easy-to-follow, large photos, clear directions, and step-by-step demonstrations of each of the basic needleturn appliqué techniques, Angela has created a visual guide for stitchers of all skill levels. Nine easy and fun appliqué projects with full-size templates are provided to practice and perfect each of the techniques taught, as well as finishing techniques and guidelines for fabric selection and appliqué preparation.
***PATTERN ONLY NOT A FINISHED ITEM*** Auntie Green’s Garden is one of my best designs – in my humble opinion. I love needleturn applique and that’s all it has! Lots and lots of flowers and leaves. Pattern comes on large sheets – A1 paper. Measurement: 90" x 78" Hard Copy Pattern. NOTE: This is for the pattern only. No Fabric, notions, rulers, thread, or embellishments are included. Also, because of copyright laws, this item cannot be returned.
Nancy Lee Chong is an applique fiber artist that uses needle turn method to create her details pieces of art.
Further Adventures with Freehand Applique
Berry Basket is a basket filled with roses and strawberries. Berry Basket will finish as a 20" x 20" block. It is done with needleturn appliqué but is easily adaptable to your favorite appliqué method. Instructions for downloading digital patterns: After you have made your purchase, please do the following to download your files. 1: Sign in to Etsy.com and go to Your account. 2: Go to Purchases and reviews. 3: Next to the order, select Download Files. This goes to the Downloads page for all the files attached to your order. 4. Click the download link and save your files to your desired folder of choice (for Windows Operating Systems, the default location is the “Downloads” folder of your computer/This PC).
