Bluphrog

If you use the 100 weight silk thread in a color slightly darker than your fabric, the stitches seem to melt into the fabric. Now I'm working on getting the points of leaves nice and sharp and the "valleys" smooth.

manyana

That applique is just lovely. Would love to see more as you do it or what you have already done. I have used button hole stitch on my applique - have not felt confident enough to do needle turn. Will look at u tube. You never know I might try. Have dreams of doing a Baltimore one day!

Bluphrog

Thank you. I tried to teach myself 20+ years ago, and decided that I must be doing something wrong or it wouldn't be so hard. So I never did any more. Then I learned about Baltimore Album quilts and knew that if I ever completed one, I'd have really done something special. So I watched the local LQS's for applique classes and signed up for one. And I was right -- I was doing several things wrong, and it isn't that hard. So I signed up for this BOM and am getting 2 blocks a month. I can tell with each block that I am improving.

brushandthimble

beautiful work! I love to do needle turn, so relaxing.

I am working on a book with 12 blocks, did up to # 5 last year; need to get to it.

SewinSue

Our LQG had Karen Kay Buckley give a class 2 years ago I believe and then I took another of her classes at the AQS quilt show in Des Moines last year. She uses the heat resistant template plastic and Magic Sizing to form each applique piece and turn under the edges. I can do that and it looks ssssssssooooooo nice. Needle turn I cannot do. I just got my first applique quilt back from the quilter this week and I am proud of it. When I finish the binding I will put it on this site. Just saying to you, if you can't do needle turn there are other ways of doing hand applique without fusing and/or machine applique. Sue

Bluphrog

I do not cut narrow seam allowances whenever possible. IMHO, you can always trim them down if you need to. And rather than using the needle to turn the edges, I use the double-pointed wooden toothpicks. The slight roughness of the wood "grabs" the fabric and makes it easier to turn and to smooth.

I think I use a similar technique for making the circles using the Perfect Circle templates. They are heat resistant.

sue38

I have done several hand applique quilts and prefer applique over any other method. So far I have done a Sunbonnet Sue, Rose of Sharon, Autumn Leaves. Am now working on Arnie the Cat wall hanging for a Christmas gift.