Friday, October 16, 2015

Sew Simple Shapes - Tutorial using Pellon for Easy Hand or Machine Applique!


Good morning cute people!
Today is day 3 of my appliqué tutorials on how to use my new
Sew Simple Shapes.

for my iron on appliqué method

for my traditional hand appliqué method

Today I'll be talking about
 my super easy and fun 
 most favorite way to
 prepare my pieces 
for applique!

I'm so excited that my 
 are finally here and
 available to play with!

I love appliqué and I have found 
over the years that 
some think it can be hard
and so they are afraid to try it.

Because of this...
 I decided to design a line of shapes
to use for appliqué so that 
I can show you how 
easy and fun it really is!

Appliqué can add so much 
to your sewing skills. 
Not only can it 
add personality 
to your projects...
I especially love appliqué 
mixed with pieced quilt blocks!


This week...
 I posted to show you
 how to use my 
Sew Simple Shapes
 in several 
different appliqué methods...
so you could learn and
 then choose your favorite!



This is what they look like
 in their cute little package:)
I named my first set 
because the shapes are flowers,
 leaves and petals:)
The set has 24 fun shapes 
to mix and match 
for super cute and
 easy applique designs!



I'll be using shape A-12 to make a 
"SEED" block.
This is a traditional 
appliqué block with many names,
 but my grandma and great aunts 
always called this shape
 a seed...so I will too!


I designed a line a fabric called 
Calico Days
 to go along with my BLOOM set.
It will be here in December...
Just in time to start my 
BLOOM Sew Along in January!
We will be making the above quilt...
one block at a time ...
every Monday 
right here on my blog!



But for this weeks
 tutorials...
I used this
 super cute fabric collection
called Fancy and Fabulous!



To cut fabric for the SEED blocks
for each tutorial and method this week... 
I cut 5" squares from the prints and
I cut 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" 
squares for the background.
(I'll later square them up to 6 1/2" square)
I always cut my appliqué background 
1" larger than needed
 because the appliqué process
 can shrink your blocks a little ...
so I like to appliqué first 
and then
 square up the block afterwards.



So this is my 
very favorite method to 
prepare my appliqué pieces...
for both machine appliqué
 and hand appliqué.
I LOVE the results for either way!

I use Bee in my Bonnet 
Sew-In interfacing
  (that means sew in NOT iron on) 
It comes in a 3 yard package. 
You can purchase by 
or find it at your local 
or online quilt shop.




Simply trace the SEED shape
 directly onto a piece
 of the interfacing
using a mechanical pencil
 for a nice thin line.
I traced 4 for my seed block:)



Then pin it to the 
right side 
of chosen fabric....
with your marked line
 on Pellon side up.



Now take it to your machine 
and sew DIRECTLY 
onto your traced line...
backstitching when you
 start and stop to secure...



Like this.
(that stitching line that goes off the edge is because I chain piece my shapes)



Cut out the shape leaving
 an approximate
 1/4" seam allowance 
past your stitching line.



Pull the interfacing apart from 
the fabric and make a small clip
 with a small sharp pair
 of embroidery scissors.



Once clipped...
you can get in there 
to cut a criss cross
 for turning.



Turn right side out.



I love to use this awesome
 turning tool by CLOVER 
to push out the 
curves and points...
it works nicely for that!



After you get the 
shape how you want it...
press it flat like this.
 Press on the fabric side.
PRESS...do not iron.



This is what the 
back looks like after pressing.
See how nicely the 
seam allowances lie flat 
inside after pressing?

*FYI - You DO NOT need to clip 
outside curve seam allowances 
so that they will lie flat...
you only clip INSIDE curves and 
there are no BLOOM shapes 
that have inside curves.



See how the shape that you
 end up with is the same 
as the template that you 
started out with?
YaY!



Here are all four seeds
 turned and pressed.



Prepare your backing fabric
 by pressing in half 
both ways and both diagonal
 ways as well.



Place your seeds on like this...
lining up the points 
of the seed ends
 with the diagonal lines 
that you have pressed.

Pin each seed shape into place.

Now your block is prepared
 for either machine appliqué 
or hand appliqué...
your choice!
I like to do both...
depending on the project.



For machine applique...
I use an open toe foot 
so that I can see
 where each stitch goes.

I like to use matching thread 
for EACH appliqué piece by 
switching the top spool...
but I keep a neautral color
 in my bobbin.

I use a small zig-zag stitch.
 I set my stitch width at 1.5 
 and the length at 2.0.
 I backstitch where I 
stop and start to secure.





This is how it looks after
 I have machine appliquéd it...
it took literally 5 minutes.



The back...
small zig-zag stitch
 with neutral thread.



Press your block from the BACK 
and then square up with a 
6 1/2" square up ruler:)


I quickly prepared another block 
with Pellon to hand appliqué
 so that I could show you 
what that looks like. 



Here it is completed ...
prepared with my interfacing method 
and then hand appliquéd.
This took me about 
15 minutes to stitch down
 and of course I just used the 
traditional hand appliqué 
stitch that I teach
 on my blog post
The only difference
 is that the edges are 
already turned under
 when I use the interfacing.
YaY!
Easy Peasy:)



And because
 "SEEDS"
 turn into flowers...
I decided to use my
 A-1 Sew Simple Shape 
to make a circle for the center 
of each block from 
this weeks tutorials.

Of course I prepared them
 in the same way 
that I just showed you...
my interfacing method:)



I hand stitched the 
circles in the center...
easy peasy!



This will probably become a pillow...
my daughter Kassidy 
has already 
claimed it for her room:)



So now I've shown you 
several ways to use my 
Sew Simple Shapes.

I am so excited about them 
and I hope that you will 
love playing with them too!
to get a set of your very own.

I will be showing you 
many different things
 to do with them...
remember that there are
 24 in the set and 
I've only used 2 
for this project...
oh the possibilities!!!


I'll be back next friday 
with a brand new 
Farm Girl Fridays post...
"LIVE" from my 
Farm Girl Vintage 
Workshop/Retreat!
See you then!
xx
Lori



12 comments:

Phyllis said...

Thank you so much for all the applique tutorials and all those pictures. I will save these posts to refer to whenever I want to, especially the machine applique tutorials are handy for me as I am mostly a handquilter (and patcher and appliquer.... is that a correct word?). One question: there does not seem to be link behind the word HERE where we would be able to see where to buy the Pellon materials you are using. I am a quilter from The Netherlands and they do not sell it over here so if I want it I probably need to order it from the US so am interested in where I can do this. Thanks again!

Little Quiltsong said...

Love this method and you are right - the possibilities with all of your templates are endless. This will make a very cute pillow! (Also, I'm so happy your new sew-along will be on Mondays - I love that pick-me-up at the start of the week) :)!! I also really appreciate your time with these tutorials - they are great!

Susie H said...

Great tutorial! Thanks, Lori!

Dede B. said...

Great tutorials1 I have never seen the use of Pellon before and I think it will also become my new favorite. I love how it gives more depth to the work than fusible! Can't wait for Calico Mondays!

Jackie said...

I'll have to give this method a try. Thank you for the tutorial!

Susan said...

Thanks for sharing! Another project added to my "To Do" list!

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

I've enjoyed reading the different ways to appliqué. This is the method I usually use and sometimes I even use the pellon with glue dots on one side. After turning right side out I can press the shape in place. I see how your way lets you press it nice and flat first, but I do like the ease of it sticking right in place in the background! Looking forward to the qal!

Bessie said...

Please tell me where you found those adorable aqua scissors? I want some :o) Those are some of the cutest scissors I have ever seen. Thanks for the great tutorial. You are the best!!!

Naomi said...

Lori - do you have time to sleep? Haha. I love your posts! The tutorials are informative and detailed. Thank you so much! I have signed up for your Bloom Quilt QAL and I am looking forward to the new year! Thanks for all the inspiration!!

sandys7118 said...

Thank you so much for the tutorial. I love the snapshot step by step instructions as they are so much easier to follow and know you are doing the steps correctly. Love the new Bloom shapes and cannot wait to get mine to begin playing with them and to do the quilt along in January!

Mom of 12 said...

That is so clever! Someday I'm going to find time to do all these fun things.
Sandy

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

I am so excited about your next quilt along! I decided to practice some appliqué since I've never done it before. I'm using my 8 month old's infant clothes. She'll be my last baby and I couldn't bear to say goodbye to some of her outfits. This morning I traced out the seed shapes and have made 4 flowers with her clothes so far. The interfacing might be making it easier to work with the knit which is a win for me! Thanks for the great tutorial!

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