Sharon Schamber's Applique Technique - Questions?

[Nancy M.]

About a year ago I was on Sharon Schamber's web site and she was selling something that one would put underneath your applique, then when the piece was washed it would "puff" up making your machine applique piece look like it was hand appliqued. I remember that you were to "wash the "appliqued" fabric before you cut your shape and then applique to the "background fabric" with this interfacing/lining fabric, then wash the whole top and poof.. you had a quilt top that looked hand appliqued instead of machine.
I need to what the name of that "stuff" is? Or if anyone else has something similar that works... Please advise soon as I am working on a challenge project and I need something that will give me the "trapunto" look with out all the work... Thank you

[Paula D.]

The puffing up part comes from not prewashing the background fabric, and do prewash the fabric to be used to cut up the applique shapes. When the piece is done, wash the whole thing, and the background fabric shrinks a bit, thereby puffing up the applique a bit. She uses a product that is exactly the same as Ricky's Stable Stuff to back the applique pieces, and this dissolves, not puffs up, though it leaves behind some soft fibers that might also help with the puffing thing. So you can order it right here in the "Shoppe". :lol:

[Paula D.]

Paula is right on, Mary...I have used both of the wash-away stablizers(Ricky's & Sharon's) on my 1st TQS BOM "Bouquets for a New Day" and currently on Sue Garman's "Lily Rosenberry". I prefer Ricky's brand, it's alittle thicker, eaiser to glue & turn back the edges of the applique pieces. It does add some demention to the applique.
I believe the "puffiness" of the applique also depends on the density of the quilting next to the applique too.
Here is a link to my old blog using Sharon's method on Anne Sutton's BOM.

community/my-profile/materialblessings

Hope that helps!!
Blessings, Debbie

[Paula D.]

I'm sure glad that my curiousity caused me to peek at this thread. Debbie, your applique looks great! Someday, I plan to make an applique quilt and I will review this technique before I do. Thanks!

[Keith D.]

I love Sharon's product - I've used it a lot for several years now with great results. I think I've used 15 yards. I've only recently used Ricky's Stable Stuff - also with great results - on a Hugs and Kisses-realted project.

I think they are very similar. Ricky's is polyester - I don't know whether Sharon's is polyester or a natural fiber. They both work as a foundation behind your applique pieces while you applique, with water soluble 'adhesive stuff' that makes them paper-like until you get them wet, then they turn into a soft trapunto-like fiber layer. Only the adhesive dissolves; all the fibers stay inside the applique and add 'puffiness' - quite a bit actually.

Sharon's idea is really cool - you launder the applique shapes but not the background. So after machine applique, the background shrinks but the applique shapes do not - like the previous posters discussed. It does hide the machine stitches even more and makes your work look more like hand applique, if that's your intention. (And it is my intention.)

Ricky's comes in sheets that you can run through your printer so you don't have to trace/draw your shapes on the foundation. I haven't tried that, but if I want to make a lot of shapes in the future, that could save a lot of time.

Our LQS carries Sharon's applique foundation product and you can buy Ricky's Stable Stuff right here on this web site like I did. =)

[Margo C.]

I show how I used Stable Stuff for my Hugs and Kisses quilt on my Webshots album tutorial. You can link to it here:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...76127612MrslzR

Yes, Stable Stuff is available in 8-1/2" x 11" sheets that can be run through your printer, but it is also now available by the yard in 28" width.

Get it from the TQS Shoppe:

https://www.thequiltshowshoppe.com/?a=VP&id=281

https://www.thequiltshowshoppe.com/?a=VP&id=376

[Margo C.]

Thank you all for your comments... I will be checking into Ricky's Stable stuff as this sounds exactly what I need.
Thank you too for the tips, Prewash the "applique" pieces first,
then WASH the entire quilt before quilting...

I greatly appreciate everyone's comments. The Quilt Show is the BEST!!!! Aloha... Mary :lol:

[Charae H.]

Margo, Thanks so much for your tutorials. Sure appreciate your time and effort!

[Margo C.]

Margo, Thanks so much for your tutorials. Sure appreciate your time and effort!

You are quite welcome, Charae! Hope it helps. Just remember that what I show in my tutes is definitely not the only way to things!

There are lots of great techniques to try until you find what works best for you!