Needleturn Appliqué

[Lois B.]

Wendy, You can do it!

[wendy w.]

:lol: yum. I have a toothpick :woohoo:

[wendy w.]

Is that so you don't get chocolate on your fingers?

[wendy w.]

I think that's a given, when I moisten the toothpick.

[Renata L.]

Okay, this happened purely by accident. Quite a while back, my seam ripper broke as I was using it--one of the prongs broke off because I was trying to separate the lid from a King Tut spool of thread with it... never threw it away because I could still cut the thread when pulling a pieced block off the machine with it. But, now, I took a cutter to the other prong, then filed the rough edges a bit and I can use it to hold my applique' pieces down when turning the edges! Just in case you want to break a seam ripper... :lol:

[Charae H.]

Love it, Renata! Waste not...

[Nancy R.]

What a great idea!

[Lois B.]

Quilters are clever ( and frugal, except when it comes to spending money on fabric)! Good job, Renata.

[wendy w.]

And will be great for controlling that last 1/4 " as you seam. Who's going to snap their seam ripper :lol:

[wendy w.]

I'd use a blunt one to snap, and believe me I get through some seam rippers at work!

[Barb A.]

Getting ready to start Month 1 (wanted to finish 2014 first) so haven't done hands-on yet. But I wanted to mention something I learned in a class with Kathy Kansier at Houston last year - she did a full-day applique class, lots of great info and handouts.

She showed us 2 ways of holding the applique for needleturn: you can have the turned edge away from you, which is what I grew up doing, but you can also have the turned edge facing you so that the 'turn-under' edge of the applique is visible. This second way seemed awkward for all of 5 seconds, and then I realized how valuable it could be to be able to work from both aspects of the applique. It gives you a little more flexibility to deal with various curves and points, also to rest your wrists because the angles are a little different.

I am right-handed so work from right to left using either way, but from the perspective of the applique, the direction of stitching is opposite between the 2 ways.

Thought I would mention in case this helps anybody.

Barb in Alabama
cold again today bah humbug

[Robin G.]

That's interesting, Barb! Do you remember if Kathy Kansier is left-handed? I'm a leftie, and I've found that working toward myself works best for me. I sort of work diagonally (from upper-left to bottom-right), with the turned edge toward me. That way I can see what I'm doing, and my needle-turn appliqué improved dramatically once I figured out that way of working. I had a conversation with several quilters one time (over dinner at Empty Spools at Asilomar ) about how left-handed people make adjustments to the right-handed world. The consensus was that all lefties translate from right to left, but all do it in our own ways, rather than there being a consistent way of making that translation.

[Barb A.]

I'm trying to picture Kathy during her demonstrations, Robin - I think she is right-handed but wouldn't swear to it. I am married to a lefty and I totally agree with your statement about compensating differently. The world is just not geared to communicate well with left-handed people, shame on us.

Barb in Alabama

[Jeanette C.]

Why did I choose to do needle turn applique ?! I've just counted and I have 30 leaves to do - and its the last day of February.
Tqquilter

[Rita C.]

I think next month's instructions will be a lot easier because there are just a few hexagon flowers and a vine to do so you will have lots of time to get both finished before April. Don't get disheartened, just slowly plug away at it and before you know it it will be done and beautiful.