irma tapia

Hi Everyone!
I am making a quilt and it will have large appliqued flowers on it. I am using Heat N Bond paper. I have never appliqued before, are there any tricks to this?

sharon b

Go slow - and I have a tute here you might want to look at : http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-77851-1.htm

and lastly HAVE FUN :thumbup:

amma

Cut a 1/4" around the outline on the fusible, fuse it to the fabric and then when you are ready to iron it to the block/quilt, trim it on the drawn lines. This will keep fraying to a minimum.

Use larger/wider applique stitches on big pieces, and make the stitches narrower/shorter on the smaller pieces.
Try some of these combinations on a scrap fabric, and write down the settings you used next to them, so you can reference them later.

Stitch them down slow, stop and turn with your needle down frequently. Yes it can seem a pain at times, but it is still faster than sewing them by hand :wink:

Most of all, have fun with this technique :D:D:D

k3n

What amma said plus use an open toe applique foot if you can - so much easier if you can actually SEE what you're doing. Sharon's tute is excellent and how I do mine. Note to add - do not be tempted to have the iron hotter than the instructions says or it won't stick EVER!!! Ask me how I know. :mrgreen:

dgsmom

the only suggestion i have is to use the lite heat bond not the heavy or it can mess up your machine

jdiane318

Keep some alcohol swaps handy to clean your needle when it gets sticky. You will swear that something is wrong with your machine when in fact it is a gummy/sticky needle.

scowlkat

Also when I cut my applique fusible, before I adhere it to the fabric, I trim the center out leaving a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the fusible so the center will remain soft, especially heat n bond. I prefer Steam A Seam lite or 2 because of the weight.

hobbykat1955

Just be aware there is Lite Heat Bond and Heavy...Hope you have Lite because I found that the Heavy bleeds thru cotton.

Mamagus

Are you sewing by hand or with a machine?
I do both and there are hints for both!

THE biggest think I can think of for machine applique: Use a second layer of fabric to act as a stabilizer. I cut a piece of scrap fabric and spray it with 505 spray and attach it to the back of the design area. When the design is completely appliqued you can pull the fabric back and trim close to the stitching. There's no puckering at all that way!

irma tapia

Thanks for yout tips. One more question....can I use wax papter as a pressing cloth so the glue doesn't get on the iron?