One way to do applique…….

I saw a tutorial done by Pearl P. Pereira on a quilting show I believe – it’s been awhile so I don’t remember for sure -  that showed this method for applique.  It is fast when you are doing only a couple pieces, but if you have a lot of pieces like this square I am working on, it will take awhile for the prep work.   I ordered some of her tools shown at P3Designs.

As always click on any photo to go to a larger size to see more clearly.  Pearl has a DVD on her web site of her step by step method that goes into more detail than I did.

This is my version of her technique.  The square I am working on here is for the Christmas Baltimore Album quilt.  I will try to make this step by step.

1 – make freezer paper templates of all of your pieces needed – iron two pieces of freezer paper together as this makes it a little thicker to work with.

2 – cut out your template and iron it onto the fabric that you have chosen – make sure to reverse your pattern and iron on to the wrong side of the fabric. Cut out your piece leaving a 1/8 inch seam allowance at least.

3 – ( as in picture above) using a small stencil brush – brush a line of starch along the seam line.  I use a small container for this that I spray starch from a regular can of spray starch – dip the brush in it, shake it off and brush on to the fabric.

4 – iron the seam line down, holding piece in place with a stiletto or similar object.  If you need to clip curves do so before you put the starch on the piece. (picture to the right)

5 – continue #4 until you are finished with all sides of the piece.

6 – take freezer paper off of the cloth (picture to the left).  Press from the top of the fabric to make sure it is all smooth.  Remember any points that aren’t pointed enough will be needle turned applique so don’t worry about it – you can fix it later.

7 – take piece to the layout table where you will have your background fabric taped (if you wish) to the table to keep it from moving.  Your plastic overlay with your design copied to it will be there also.  I also tape this in place except for whatever corner I am working on.  (on the background fabric in advance I do a little prep work – press your square flat, fold in half and press the fold line, fold in quarters and press the fold line, fold in eighths and press your fold line).  This will give you marks to make sure you line your pieces up in the correct areas with your plastic overlay on top)

This is the design so far – mistletoe toe and berry will be in each corner of this square and then a ring of Christmas Cactus which is what I am working on right now.  You do not have to use plastic overlay and most of the time I do not.  But for a Baltimore Album of any type you mainly have reverse images so they must be very identical.  I do not care if they are a little off – I am not planning on putting this into any competition.  It is just for us.  Also I do not like to stress out so if it isn’t perfect – it isn’t perfect – I really do not care!

For this square I am doing a different method than I did on the first square that I did a couple weeks ago.  On that one I did use freezer paper templates also to cut out the pieces but I did not do this step of ironing seam edges down to the back side of the fabric.  I just did the normal needle turn applique turning the seam under as I went along.