Hand Applique

When I do hand applique, the hardest thing is sometimes to hold the applique piece turned under while i stitch, yet I don't need to prebaste the pieces!  I use a round appitizer-style wooden toothpick to turn the piece under.  Before tucking under with the toothpick, I rub the surface of the toothpick across a glue stick.  This gives it just enough tackiness to hold the applique piece while I stitch! 

I learned to use a large round (Asian style) toothpick to turn under my hand applique.  Another tip is to keep a glue stick in your supplies and gently rub the toothpick over the glue before turning under.  This will not hold the applique fabric securely, but if you finger press it, it will hold it gently and make it easier to keep secure while you applique, eliminating the need for prebasting. 

I have an old leather coat that I am slowly cutting up to make thimbles as I need them.  I think I will have a lifetime of thmbles, but I have shared them with my friends so it's going quicker than I thought it would.  I cut a piece slightly larger than the circumference of my middle finger (to allow for seam allowance) and sew it so it is curved for the fit of the tip of my finger.  The seam stays on the outside and never seems to get in my way.  If I get a needle worn spot I simply rotate it to prolong the length of use.  It is so comfortable and sometimes I forget that I even have it on!  I have embarrassed my children many times when I have picked them up from school and it is still on my finger while I'm driving!  Hope this is helpful to a few of you!  Very economical!

LynninMN

While you are hand quilting, applique, or pinning,,you might poke your finger and get blood on your fabric. If you use your saliva on the blood it will come out right away. It only works if it is your blood and your saliva.

Theresa

I WAS GOING ON VACATION LAST MONTH AND HAD 12X12 BLOCKS THAT I WANTED TO TAKE ALONG TO WORK ON IN THE CAR. INSTEAD OF BUYING SOMETHING TO KEEP MY BLOCKS NEATLY IN, I WENT TO PIZZA HUT AND ASKED IF I COULD PURCHASE A COUPLE OF EMPTY PIZZA BOXES. THEY GLADLY GAVE ME 4. I PLACED MY 12X12 BLOCKS IN THE PIZZA BOX ALONG WITH MY APPLIQUE FLOSS, NEEDLES AND SCISSORS. IT WORKED GREAT

When using the freezer paper technique for applique templates, it takes alot of time to retrace all the pieces you need. When there are several of the same flowers, leaves, etc. it can be a tedius task. Instead, purchase label paper from your local office supply store. This is the same brand of paper you can print mailing labels from, BUT one label is 8 1/2" by 11". Put the label paper in your copy machine, and copy the applique templates directly from your book/pattern onto the paper. The only catch is that if you need to reverse the templates, do that on a piece of paper first, and then make the copies from the reverse image. While the label paper is more expensive than freezer paper, it can save you LOTS of time in tracing!

I use an inexpensive photo album to keep the small pieces for hand applique.  They are easily seen and can be divided into as many groups as one wishes to divide them.  It is very convenient to carry along and keeps pieces from becoming lost.

When you begin to apply the applique by hand, take note to use small, uniform stitches. You do not want stitches to be visible from the front of the applique, and, since small stitches are easier to hide, you should use tiny stitches. When stitching the applique, you will want the fabric to cover your stitches whenever possible. Giving your thread a firm tug from the underside of the fabric should cause the edge of the fabric to successfully cover the stitch so it cannot be seen.

No matter how tiny and well hidden your stitches may be, if the thread is not the right color, all your stitches wills stick out like a sore thumb. Carefully choose the exact color of the fabric to ensure the stitches melt into the background. You may need to bring a piece of your fabric to your local fabric shop or craft store to ensure the correct shade of thread is selected. However, every one has a different style and opinion, and some quilters prefer to use a contrasting color for the stitching to emphasize the stitching.

Some quilters prefer to pin their appliqués. This ensures the appliqué will stay firmly in place while you are sewing. If you decide to use pins, invest in some short, fine straight pins. Using these tiny pins will ensure your thread or any other fabric does not get caught on the pins. Additionally, these thin pins will cause much smaller, less noticeable holes than the standard size of straight pin. Another case where having the right tools makes all the difference.