How do YOU do...?

I love to Applique and it features in a number of my quilts and wallhangings and tabletoppers.  Most of all I love to applique by hand (exclude raw edge applique for this post) as I sit at night and watch tv. For years I have admired Needleturn Applique but when I gave it a go, it turned out absolutely awful because the edges were never smooth. So I stuck to buttonhole applique until I did a class with Crafty Lady on English Paper piecing.  What a revelation that was! Sandy is an amazing teacher and as this was a hands on class, I took home a project that I was proud of and was eager to try out my newly learned skill.

The only thing that bugged me was pinning all those paper shapes to the fabric.....it still just slips and slides everywhere and you keep scratching yourself with a pin .  So while I work on this WIP, let me show how I do it

Freezer Paper to the rescue!!   Trace your shape onto freezer paper

 When I was first taught to do needleturn, I was told to place the shiny side facing up on the fabric and iron the seam allowance down onto the shiny side to make it stick in place while it was sewn onto the background.

Na!!! Wrong!! Iron the shiny side down onto the wrong side of the fabric

Cut out your fabric adding 1/4" seam allowance all around the shape. At this stage I am cutting out a curved shape so you need to clip all around the edges making sure that the clips don't go too close to the paper edge

Now just thread a needle with contrast cotton tack the seam allowance into place, using your finger & thumb (see my left hand below) to ease the fabric into a smooth line along the edge of the paper. Tack (looking at) the back of the fabric but make sure to have the thread knot on the right side (makes it easier when removing the tacking later)

Step one complete!

That was a curved/oval/round shape...but what about 'sharp' corners. Here is what I do.  Trace, Iron and Cut out as before, but instead of clipping, snip off the excess on the corners

See the dab of glue (blue) on the corner....now fold the fabric across the corner over the glue like you do when covering a book.

Now you just ease and push the fabric into place while you tack it down (contrast thread) like I explained before forming a nice sharp corner.

All my pieces are ready to sew onto the background....stay posted and I will post step 2 later.

Keep your needles threaded!
Oh and "how do you do and welcome" to all of my new followers.  I am nearly at 50 now!
xoxoxox