thepolyparrot

I have one quilt going with this method - the pieces are teeny, so it's tedious. But I LOVE the precision of this method - it's well worth the time it takes to prepare the pieces.

The other applique quilt I'm working on is needle-turn and a lot "looser." One of the things I like about needleturn is that you have that freedom - cut out the pieces, slap 'em on and get right to sewing.

I use glue-basting for everything - either Roxanne's Glue Baste It or Elmer's Washable School Glue - they seem to look, smell and work exactly the same. :)

Scissor Queen

I do raw edge applique with Wonder Under and either a straight stitch and inivisble thread or blanket stitch and a regular thread. If you're doing a straight stitch and invisible thread use a 60/8 needle and sew about 1/16th of an inch from the edge of your applique. An open toe foot makes a world of difference for machine applique!!

I'm about to start a huge raw edge project. It has 7 flowers, 66 leaves, a cardinal, and at least 10 snowflakes plus I'll couch down a vine for the leaves.