This little gem of a quilt has been sitting in my "Box of the Unfinished" for about 8 years now! I'm so happy to show you this finish and link up with TGIFF. We'll also have a little giveaway! (details below).
It began in an "Appli-Quilting" class taught by Gina Perkes. I learned just how fun and easy it was to stitch down the appliqué and quilt simultaneously; to "Appli-Quilt"! What a great time-saver!
I think it is my quest in life, well in quilting, that is, to look for the shortcuts, tips, tricks and tools that can make quilting so enjoyable. And skipping a step in the applique' process is right up my alley! This was a great skill that I turned to when my cute Aunt Margie wanted to make quilts for her grandchildren... (see one of her 27 quilts HERE). This photo is the back side. See if you can spy the appli-quilting stitches around the trees and bushes.
Recently, I shared some of my favorite Appli-quilting tips with my Longarm Guild.
1) Prepare your quilt sandwich, and position the appliqué pieces in place. Adhere pieces with a glue stick, temporary spray adhesive or fusible web. I prefer 505 temporary adhesive spray. Doesn't gum up the needle, is not stiff like a fusible web can be, and the pieces may be repositioned.
2) Determine whether to appli-quilt individual elements or do an overall design, catching the edges of the appliqué pieces as you quilt. If using a computerized quilting design for the background, I would recommend quilting the background before adding the appliqué. Here's an example of what NOT to do:
I could have saved oodles of time clipping threads if only I pre-quilted the background first, then appli-quilting all the pieces afterward! OR, used freemotion quilting instead of a computerized design. But I really liked the musical motifs for this particular quilt. Lesson learned!
3) This technique works on both domestic and longarm machines. Drop the feed dogs on a domestic machine. Mimic some of the stitches on the sewing machine such as a zig-zag or blanket stitch. You could use the decorative stitches in your machine as inspiration for freemotion appli-quilting. Or, try any of your favorite longarm fill patterns in miniature. Be creative and use your imagination.
The sample below uses raw-edge applique' pieces cut from ultra-suede and felted wool, turned-edge applique', embellishments and couching. Here are a couple of stitch examples:
And of course, it wouldn't be finished without my favorite faux-piped binding.
Now it's your turn to share! Join the party by sharing a link of your fabulous finishes below. Then be sure to visit the other links of this week's participants. Please include a link or button to tgiffriday.blogspot.com in your post so your visitors can see everyone's finishes, too!
BONUS: Leave a comment if you want to be included in a drawing for a copy of Gina Perkes' Appli-Quilting book! The drawing will close on Monday, Aug 14th at 6pm MDT.
UPDATE: Congratulations to Janet O! You have won a copy of Gina Perkes' Appli-Quilting book!
Happy TGIFF!
~Deonn
Your quilting is amazing, and that flower is so fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a bright & cheerful quilt. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is just darling and I love how cute the stitching is. Gina sure has the right attitude!
ReplyDeletelove your technique for appl-quilt. the finished project is wonderful. would love an opportunity to win your book. thanks for the chance. patti in florida ( pleal@cfl.rr.com )
ReplyDeleteWhat great finish. And viedo too. Thank you the opportunity to win a helpful book. In stitches
ReplyDeleteThe flower quilt is a treat for the eye. Since the fussy, fiddly prep work of applique keeps me from enjoying it, this almost convinces me I can learn to enjoy applique. The video was fun to watch. You make it look so easy!
ReplyDeleteI have appliquéd by machine, but never appli-quilted. Always nice to learn about a technique to add to my tool box. The faux-piping is also great. Congratulations on your finish!
ReplyDelete