[Quilt Preparation] [Care to be Square] [Mock Hand Appliqué]

Mock Hand Appliqué

This incredibly easy method of appliqué allows the finished work to remain soft and flexible. The stiffness normally associated with fusible web is eliminated by following these simple instructions. You will be amazed at how closely these appliqués will resemble those done with the traditional needle-turned technique!

I. SUPPLIES

Paper-backed Fusible Web
Sharp Pencil
Small Sharp Scissors
Thread to Match Each Appliqué Element OR Black Thread
Bobbins Wound In Each Thread Color
Appliqué Pattern
Background Fabric Square (washed and pressed)
Fabrics For Appliqué Elements (washed and pressed)
Iron
Light Box (or glass pane, smooth plastic-bottomed box, or clear pyrex baking dish with a light underneath
Sewing Machine
New Needles—size 80 OR size 100 for Double Thread Technique

II. PREPARING THE APPLIQUÉ ELEMENTS

1. Trace desired design onto paper side of fusible web. These pieces will be reversed when finished, so be sure any directional elements are in mirror form BEFORE tracing. Add extensions on portions of design which will be placed underneath another piece to cover up raw edges.
    
2. With small sharp scissors, cut away the center of the web approximately 1/8”-1/4” inside the drawn line. Do not cut on the line. You now have a piece of web with a hole in it.
    
3. Following the instructions given with the particular brand of fusible web you are using, fuse the prepared web to the WRONG SIDE of the chosen fabric.
    
4. Carefully and very smoothly, cut along the drawn line. Your appliqué shape now has a thin ring of fusible web all around the edge. The appliqué will remain soft, like REAL needle-turned work!
    
5. Gently peel off the paper from the appliqué shape, being careful not to distort the shape, or stretch the edges. There is now a “bead” of glue all around the edge. This will prevent raveling of the edge throughout many washings. The stiffness of the bead will be underneath the decorative stitching, and the whole appliqué will feel soft and pliable.

III. PREPARING THE BACKGROUND FABRIC

1. Cut background fabric 15” square, or size desired. Make sure that it is SQUARE! A large 15” square ruler is ideal for this step.
    
2. Fold fabric in half and press. Then fold again the other direction, and press. Re-press the center to keep the fold lines sharp.
    
3. Now fold fabric diagonally and press. Fold diagonally the other direction, and press. Re-press center again to keep all creases sharp. These lines are registration lines, which will match up with registration marks on the pattern layout.
    
4. Lay pattern design layout on light table. Then position fabric, right side up, over top of pattern, matching registration lines, and tape or pin in place. With a sharp pencil, lightly mark the key placement areas, making sure the markings fall INSIDE the desired shape. This will prevent unwanted pencil lines from showing around the finished appliquéd element.
    

IV. PREPARING BIAS STEMS

1. Cut fabric into 1” wide bias strips.
    
2. Press pieces in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
    
3. Lay raw edges of strip against drawn stem lines on background fabric. If the lines are curved, make sure to lay the raw edges against the INSIDE of the curve, as it is the smaller measurement from the outside of the curve. The bias will stretch slightly and lay flat. If done incorrectly along the outside curve, puckering will occur.
    
4. Using open toe foot for visibility, place outside of foot against the folded edge of the bias strip. Set needle position to sew approximately 2/3 of the bias to the right of the stitching, and 1/3 to the left. Stitch in place. Cut off excess bias.
    
5. With the point of your iron, press the folded edge of the bias strip over the raw edges. A beautiful curve will form! If folded edge does not cover the raw edges completely, slightly trim raw edges.
    
6. If you have a tube turner, make tiny tubes instead. Cut strips of bias fabric 1” wide, fold wrong sides together and press. Stitch ¼” from folded edge, using a small stitch. Turn tube. Then insert appropriate sized bias bar while pressing tube flat, making sure that seam stays centered on the underside of the tube.

V. SETTING UP THE MACHINE FOR APPLIQUÉ STITCHING

1. Use a size 80 needle, open toe foot, and high-quality thread. Bobbin thread should match the top thread, and should be threaded through the hole in the bobbin finger, which will pull the top thread to the back of the fabric, and create a smoother look.
    
2. Select a memory to store the stitch. In memory mode, choose the appliqué stitch. Change the stitch length to 1 to make the stitches closer together to prevent raveling, stitch width remains at 2. Try this stitch on a scrap—it really depends on the fabric you are using.
    
3. If you wish to achieve a heavy, hand-crafted look, use two threads simultaneously in the needle, but change needle to a size 100 to accommodate the extra thread. Use stitch length 2, stitch width 3.5.It is extremely important to use high quality thread here, because the two threads need to remain consistent with each other, and not have one thread stretching and attaining more length as stitching progresses.

VI. STITCHING THE APPLIQUÉ

1. Stitch the folded edges of the stem pieces with the appliqué stitch, using matching thread.
    
2. When all stems are completed, the prepared appliqué shapes can be fused to the background fabric. Starting with the elements which are the deepest behind the other pieces, begin fusing. Continue building the design until all the elements are fused to the background.
    
3. Change the needle to a DOWN position, and set at the SLOWEST SPEED. Using the pre-set appliqué stitch, lock the threads. (using FIX on the Viking) Begin stitching carefully all around the edge of the appliqué piece, keeping the inside of the open-toe foot along the edge of the element. It is important for the straight part of the stitch to lie EXACTLY along the edge. If it is a bit too far onto the background, then background fabric will show between the stitches and the appliqué. If the stitch is too far onto the appliqué element, the edge of the element will show beyond the stitch, and could possibly fray over time. Since this whole process is decorative, it is necessary to be as exact as possible.
    
4. When the edges of the appliqué piece are entirely secured, lock the stitches, using FIX, if possible.
    
5. Cut threads closely. If you are very fussy, the threads can be pulled to the back, tied, and clipped, leaving ½” tails, so there will be no “fuzzies” showing.
    
6. If there are multiple layers of appliqué pieces, one way to decrease bulk is to stitch the outermost element to its underlying appliqué piece before fusing to the background, and trim away excess fabric from the underneath element. However, do not trim away background fabric, as this is the strength of the quilt. If, for some reason, the appliqué should ever come un-sewed, it is good insurance for the background fabric to remain intact. Continue until all appliqué pieces have been stitched.

[Quilt Preparation] [Care to be Square] [Mock Hand Appliqué]