This is seriously a wonderful tutorial!!
I couldn't help myself to showing it off to everyone out there.
I don't do needle turn applique–not sure if I ever will, but that is besides the point. It is a great tutorial, and she is one of the designers for Patchwork Posse Premium members.
So read on and go visit her blog for some more great stuff!!! Love her stuff.
Chitter Chatter Designs – by Corrie
Necessary items…
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Freezer Paper: If you live in my area… you can find this in the grocery store -the isle with aluminum foil, saran wrap, and sandwich bags.
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Pencil: I prefer a mechanical pencil because it always has a sharp point.
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Scissors: Paper and fabric scissors.
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Pattern: It's up to you. I am using my "OLD MacDONALD" pattern.
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Pins: Preferably applique pins, they are really short pins, sequin pins work well too.
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Needles: I prefer Bohin Appliquer Long needles, size 9 or 10.
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Thread: Use coordinating thread. It tends to hide your stitches better if matched with your fabric.
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Fabric: This one is a given right?
I start with a big piece of freezer paper. Freezer paper has a shiny side and a dull side. The shiny side is the side that sticks to your fabric. On the dull side of the paper, draw out your entire design. (Do not reverse…or add seam allowances on this step. This drawing should be the finished size of the pieces you want to applique.)Make sure you label the pieces if they are appliqued in a certain order, as most of my patterns are.
Next, cut out the whole image in one piece. This picture has an example of the cut out cow with all the pieces labeled and details drawn on. This piece will become a guide for placement, as well as the pattern pieces. Iron your piece onto the background fabric in the exact place you want the finished piece to be. In this picture, I have also ironed my grass pieces to the right side of the green fabric allowing for a 1/4" seam allowance to be cut around them.
All of the applique is ironed to the right side of your fabric.
Note: I always cut out my backgrounds an inch or so bigger so that I can trim to size when I have finished. If you are following one of my patterns, that little extra measurement is included in the cutting instructions, no need to cut bigger.
Cut out your appliques 1/4" bigger than your freezer paper pattern. Allow a very generous seam allowance on the bottom of your grass….or anything that will go to the edge of your piece. I do this to make sure nothing is too short should I need to trim more off the top than the bottom.Any piece that has a inside curve to it, I make small little cuts to help the fabric turn under nicely. When doing sharp inside curves such as the top of a heart, I cut in until I am about three threads away from the paper pattern, and put a dot of fray check on the cut to prevent fraying.
When appliquing straight lines, I find this technique helpful.
This will prepare your piece so that it follows the line of the paper. You are turning under the seam allowance to match the freezer paper pattern.
Onto placement… Use the pattern to guesstimate your grass position. You may tape your pattern to a window, or use a light box to place your piece exactly if you wish, but for this project, I was happy with a guesstimate.
Start sewing at the dot, not at the fabric edge. You don't want to risk cutting your threads when trimming your piece. This picture is a good example of why you have the generous seam allowance to match the fabric edge. When you trim, the extra sometimes comes in very handy!
This piece is somewhat prepared, so the stitch is self explainitory. Try to grab the fabric as close to where the thread comes out as possible. A straight stitch will pull the fabric under just enough to hide the stitch, a slanted stitch will be more visible, and pull your fabric in the direction of the slant.
This is the needle turn method I use most often on my pieces. With the tip of your needle, grab the top of the seam allowance. With a downward motion, pull the seam allowance under to match your freezer paper edge. Use your index finger and your thumb to pinch the fabric keeping it in place until you stitch it down.
Keep working with your fabric in this fashion until it exactly matches your paper pattern. Then sew it down. Be mindful of your stitch keeping it as straight as you can, don't slant your thread.
No more pulling, cutting, wetting….and all that other stuff the other methods require! Just pull it off and you are finished!
When adding additional pieces, especially those lying under others, I use the bigger piece to place it. The freezer paper will keep sticking over and over again… up to about 10 times, sometimes more if you push it! Use this to your advantage and iron your pieces into place.
For most of my projects, I cut out the entire piece as a whole and iron it into place. After which I cut out the pieces in order and use the big piece like a puzzle to place the pieces back when they are prepared.
I use the iron a lot in the placement process. Lifting away and positioning a piece, then ironing the larger piece back down .
I use a basting stitch in the seam allowance of the sides that I am not turning under to keep them from shifting while appliquing pieces on top of it.
As you go, it is helpful to make these little tick marks so that you can line up your paper pattern with the finished edges of your applique.
I use this puzzle like technique to applique my little characters and objects to my quilts. I find this is the easiest method for me. I draw my embroidery lines on the paper pattern as well. After I am finished will the applique, I cut out these lines, iron it back onto my applique, and trace within the cutout to mark my embroidery lines.
Onto placement… Use the pattern to guesstimate your grass position. You may tape your pattern to a window, or use a light box to place your piece exactly if you wish, but for this project, I was happy with a guesstimate.
Start sewing at the dot, not at the fabric edge. You don't want to risk cutting your threads when trimming your piece. This picture is a good example of why you have the generous seam allowance to match the fabric edge. When you trim, the extra sometimes comes in very handy!
This piece is somewhat prepared, so the stitch is self explainitory. Try to grab the fabric as close to where the thread comes out as possible. A straight stitch will pull the fabric under just enough to hide the stitch, a slanted stitch will be more visible, and pull your fabric in the direction of the slant.
This is the needle turn method I use most often on my pieces. With the tip of your needle, grab the top of the seam allowance. With a downward motion, pull the seam allowance under to match your freezer paper edge. Use your index finger and your thumb to pinch the fabric keeping it in place until you stitch it down.
Keep working with your fabric in this fashion until it exactly matches your paper pattern. Then sew it down. Be mindful of your stitch keeping it as straight as you can, don't slant your thread.Finish up the piece, ending at the edge of the paper, not the edge of the fabric.
No more pulling, cutting, wetting….and all that other stuff the other methods require! Just pull it off and you are finished!
When adding additional pieces, especially those lying under others, I use the bigger piece to place it. The freezer paper will keep sticking over and over again… up to about 10 times, sometimes more if you push it! Use this to your advantage and iron your pieces into place.
For most of my projects, I cut out the entire piece as a whole and iron it into place. After which I cut out the pieces in order and use the big piece like a puzzle to place the pieces back when they are prepared.
I use the iron a lot in the placement process. Lifting away and positioning a piece, then ironing the larger piece back down .
I use a basting stitch in the seam allowance of the sides that I am not turning under to keep them from shifting while appliquing pieces on top of it.
As you go, it is helpful to make these little tick marks so that you can line up your paper pattern with the finished edges of your applique.
I use this puzzle like technique to applique my little characters and objects to my quilts. I find this is the easiest method for me. I draw my embroidery lines on the paper pattern as well. After I am finished will the applique, I cut out these lines, iron it back onto my applique, and trace within the cutout to mark my embroidery lines. I told you it was good. Anyone have any other tutorials that are wonderful? Let me know!!
I Love TheHIVE
Wow, that is a fantastic tutorial. I never wanted to try hand applique before now.
I have never tried this method, but I amazed at it's simplicity and it is really do-able. share it if you do try it out.
I have never tried this method, but I amazed at it's simplicity and it is really do-able. share it if you do try it out.
[...] if you would like to give it a try here is a great tutorial on applique by [...]
[...] for the Block of the Month- the memory tree- for the patchworkposse.com group. Using this method from 1 of the designers- Chitter Chatter- It totally works [...]
I really found your instructions easy to follow. Thanks for making these avaliable to all
I can not wait to try this method. All others I have seen seem to complicated. Thank you for the free Tutorial.
Es un tutorial maravilloso. Así es mucho más fácil hacer un aplique. Ya fui a mi supermercado y no encontré el papel, paro seguiré buscándolo.
Estuve mirando otros tutorialers y son todos fantásticos.
Saludos
Susi
[...] Hand Applique [...]
thanks a lot for the great tutorial. After saw your tute, I immediately sat down and tried it and it’s so so much easier..:) will post mine later..:)