A big part of quilt is (or can be) applique work. This is a design layered on top of the fabric of the quilt. It can be machine sewed or hand stitched, with different methods of both.
Last night as part of my sample quilt class, our very patient and talented instructor, Diane, taught Terri and me three different versions.
First, using all scrap material, was a blanket stitch using the sewing machine. Luckily, my machine has that stitch on it. It worked out good and practice will make perfect. I liked it. Terri's machine only offers her a zigzag stitch and she had trouble getting it the size she liked.
Next Di taught us how to hand sew the blanket stitch. Turns out we both knew this stitch, but Di gave us very helpful hints and techniques. I enjoyed this very much.
Last - oh, God - is the hand turned (also called needle turned) applique technique. Now - I had taken part 1 of a 2 part hand turned applique technique class so I knew what I was in for. Let me first say that when the day came for part 2 of the applique class I awoke with a terrible headache and the thought of sitting there for 4 hours doing tedious sewing did not appeal to me in the least so I skipped out of the class. You use a needle so small and thin that Thumblina would think it tiny. The hand stitches are so carefully set in that the best hand turn applique work the stitches cannot be seen. A tooth pick is used to turn under the fabric before the stitches are made. Boy - did I mention it is tedious? Peg, the instructor of the 2 part class, is a master appliquer. One of her quilts in progress is hanging at Ye Olde Schoolhouse it is a work of art. She is an excellent instructor. However, I learned quickly that this was NOT for me.
So, when it came time for poor Di to show us hand turned applique I was bitching. And, guess what? I kind of liked it! Maybe I felt more relaxed. Maybe I learned two other techniques that I could do and I enjoyed so I felt the pressure was off me to learn this - I don't know.
The sampler quilt we are making has three different appliques in it. One is a small heart set in a square of a block, one is a block of a trailing tulip design and the other is 12 small leaves that go around a square within a block. I have decided to use all three techniques. After all, it is a sampler quilt and I should show a sampling of all three techniques. The little heart will be hand turned (least amount of work). The trailing tulip block will be hand sewed using the basket stitch and the 12 leaves will be machine sewed basket stitch.
I learned more than applique techniques last night. I learned I need to be more open to new ideas and techniques, even if I think I don't like them. I will never be as good as Peg or Di when it comes to hand turn applique, but I do really enjoy hand stitching and I will not be afraid to try it when the opportunity arises. Or, just do the basket stitch!
2 comments:
I've never even thought of learning by hand so you are one step ahead of me! I don't blanket stitch as often as I do a zig zag satin stitch but there is definitely a use for all the methods!
I do like hand stitchery. I love do redwork. Hand turned applique, though, is very tedious work.
I plan to practice the zig zag satin stitch.
I think Di had us do the blanket stitch because she thought we could do it both by hand and on the machine. Unfortunately, Terri's machine was older. I like it both ways.
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