Block 1 Vine Center

[Judy S.]

I have to admit I am very intimidated by the vine center and its the first piece to applique! I am doing hand applique, not necessarily needle turn.

I have some questions:
1) At first I thought Sue might have used bias stems for the center 3 flowers but when I looked on the bottom of page 3 of block one's instructions the picture shows she did it as one piece.
2) Sue traces applique units onto freezer paper and cuts them out. She then irons them to the top of her fabrics. Then cuts the fabric pieces out using the freezer paper as a guide.
-- Does she trace around the shapes for a turn line?
-- Does she keep the freezer paper on as a guide?
-- Or does she eyeball it?
3) If you are using a stabilizer on the back of your applique fabric (Ricky's Stable Stuff or other) -- do you mirror image the pattern before tracing?

Help, suggestions, and encouragement appeciated. Thanks guys, Judy

[Margo C.]

1) Yes, Judy, the stem on the center appliqué is done as one piece, not as separate stems.

2) I'm not sure, but I think that Sue just trims her shapes and eyeballs the seam allowance. I'll see if I can get her to chime in here.

3) I use Ricky's Stable Stuff as a foundation. (Tutorials will be posted soon). I just trace the pattern with a pencil as it's printed, then be sure that the pencil side is glued to the back of the fabric so there is no need to reverse the image. On most of this quilt, however, the images are symmetrical, so it doesn't really matter. The only exception here is the two rose "petal" units. Each rose requires one left side and one right side. If you are using a really light colored fabric that allows the pencil lines to show through to the right side, you could trace the reversed image so that the pencil lines would be on the bottom of the stabilizer.

[Margo C.]

Hi Judy --

In answer to your question... doing those 3 little vines in the center of that first block would be tough - even for me! What I did on that block was to make the right and left stems as part of the "whole" applique... and then I went back in later and added the center stem (see the pictures on page 6 and you'll see one without the center stem). That makes it a much more manageable piece to tackle. Just remember... sometimes we all have to adjust our approaches so that we can make seemingly difficult steps easier!

Now... how do I do the applique on a piece like this that is so symmetrical??? There are many ways to do it - back basting, where you trace the pattern onto the background fabric (and there are plenty of tutorials on the web that show you how to do this - just google "back basting, quilt" and you'll see a lot of options). Or needle turn with freezer paper on top (I used to do all of my applique this way but don't any more just because experience has taught me other methods). Or needle turn with no freezer paper and no line or anything (that's tough with something you want to be perfectly symmetrical - but it can be done!). Or trace a template onto plastic (or trace a template onto freezer paper - but you have to not distort it when you open it up), cut it out, and use the template to lightly ink an outline (or use a marking pencil) for the applique. That's the method I used in this case: 1) Trace the stem design onto a sheet of plastic (I had to tape two pieces together), using a very fine Sharpie marker. 2) Cut out the template along the lines. 3) Use a thin Pigma pen and mark the outline of the stem on your background fabric. This becomes the "turn it under" line for my needle-turn applique. 4) Clip the inside curves, turn the seam allowance under just enough to "hide" the inked line, and applique in place. I should add that I only trim away about a fist-sized area of the stem design at a time -- if I cut it all away, the whole unit would likely stretch and become distorted, not to mention start fraying away like crazy!

I should also mention that on pieces where I don't have an inked line, I cut out the applique units WITH the freezer paper on them, adding an appropriate seam allowance (smaller than 1/4 inch, larger than 1/8th inch). Then I pull the freezer paper off. I don't mark the seam allowance line -- I have appliqued for so many years that I "see" it in my head, whether it's there or not -- so I just "eyeball" the seam allowance.

Because the only kind of applique I do is needle turn, I'm afraid I'm not much help when it comes to Stable Stuff. I prefer fewer rather than more tools because then it's easeir to have everything I need at my finger tips (though I confess that I do have to buy one of everything just to try it out!!!).

Have fun, Judy!
Sue Garman

[Margo C.]

I trace my design onto freezer paper, dull side. Then iron the freezer paper onto the fabric. I then place the applique piece with the freezer paper still on it on top of a piece of fine sand paper and carefully trace around the freezer paper with a sharp pencil or #1 Pigma pen, very lightly (just enough to see the line). Cut out the design leaving a very small seam allowance. Then remove the freezer paper. This line becomes your needle turn line. Place on background. I use silk thread and a straw needle to needle turn the applique piece.

[Judy S.]

Thanks Sue Garman -- I really appreciate the detail in your response. You offered options that I hadn't considered that seem doable. I'm going to do a sample and try it out first before using my favorite fabrics. Thanks so much for your work on the BOMs and your detailed instructions. We are lucky enough every year to get a quilt book by Sue Garman.

thanks Margo -- your explanation made perfect sense. It's funny how you read or think about something and then a different explanation makes it all clear. I have learned many lessons from you over the years of the BOMs -- thank you.

Judy -- i appreciate your thoughts as well.

I'm going to print out this thread for my notebook/memory book. Thanks so much for the help, Judy

[Judy S.]

I have completed a practice vine section using the smaller corner vine pattern -- I'm happy with the results.



My procedure:
1) I used C&T Wash-Away Applique Sheets which is a fusible product that can be printed on an inkjet printer. I printed the pattern onto the product (Tips: put a plain sheet of paper through your printer first so you know which way to load the product. I label my product instruction sheet and put a label on my printer so I don't have to keep doing this step. Note: this product is not for laser or copy machines.) (Note: this shape is symmetrical. If it wasn't, the pattern would need to be mirror imaged which I haven't figured out how to do with PDF files).
2) I cut out the shape/template of applique paper. (do this step first, I almost fused it and then thought I was going to cut out the shape -- don't do this if you intend to needle turn/glue the seam allowance for a finished edge)
3) Fuse to the back of the applique fabric. (Note: I found the first time that a quck press didn't hold so I used a wool setting and held for five second for better effect)
4) I used a cut away technique as Sue suggested to prevent stretching. I aligned the fabrics using Sue's lightbox technique. I could see through the pattern and background and the product created a shadow so I could line them up on the pattern lines. I cut away a bit at a time, using the lightbox (my portable version is a clear plastic clip board and battery operated OTT light) to see the edge of the product to cut.
5) The product made for a sharp edge to needleturn -- I really like that. The video Margo suggested my Sharon Schamber shows a similar technique (http://sharonschambernetwork.com/Cla...Blue-Bird.aspx). Two tips I picked up watching the video -- 1) to prevent your thread from coming loose, secure it to the eye of the needle -- it took me awhile to get it, you loop the short end of your thread that came through the eye of the needle, put the needle through the loop, then pull on the long tail -- the thread is secured to eye and doesn't come undone. 2) I did have some fraying at the inside points, my applique fabric was a looser weave. Sharon uses Elmer's glue and heats set it at those areas to prevent fraying. Of course, I was watching the video while sewing and didn't do this step before I started sewing. I used an index card between my applique and background to place the glue, and then I heat set it with the card there, jiggling the card lightly to prevent if from sticking. Not ideal, but in a pinch it worked).
6) After I finished, I put the pattern back underneath to see if I had distorted the shape and I hadn't!

I'm not saying that this isn't a bit finicky. On the other hand, no tracing or marking on applique fabric or background. From start to finish I finished in an afternoon and I was learning as I went.

I haven't decided if I am going to wash my applique before squaring up the block to size and adding the setting triangles. At first I thought the product might be a bit stiff but after I finished and folded the area, there was body but it bent nicely. Also, I am a novice machine quilter and I am thinking it will make a nice edge to outline.

Judy

[Margo C.]

Good info, Judy! For those inside points, I find that it helps to take a couple of tiny stitches in JUST THE APPLIQUÉ FABRIC (not through the background) to strengthen that weak spot in the "V".

[Margo C.]

Judy -
What a nice job -- and good tips and information, too! You're on a roll....

Sue Garman

[Donna N.]

Thank you, Sue, for your detailed explanation. I have been working on the leaves and berries because I knew I could do them! The vine was another issue. I fumbled around taking baby steps with the vine and came up with the same process you describe. Even down to cutting only small sections for seam allowances as I need. Boy, it feels good to know that I was able to figure it out all by myself (I only found this post today). Now to get some Glue Baste-It and really get going (a guild member purchased for me and I'll pick it up at guild meeting tomorrow).

Applique is not my usual "thing" and I've abandoned more than one project when it got a bit over my head. But I am determined to do this BOM because it is so lovely. And it will challenge me to develop this skill which will add such dimension and infinite possibilities to my quilt journey.

Thanks again, Sue.