Raw Edge Applique

Raw edge appliqué on the Juki HZL Exceed 600 

 Here's a quick raw edge appliqué tutorial. I began by preparing the fabric.

Vilene to stabilize the fabric

I ironed a thin fine Vilene to the back of the purple fabrics to give stability and support.

it only needs 8 seconds to stick

trace the template on the vilene - the back of the fabric

 I used a ball point pen to trace the template.

tracing the template

I used the Shelby instant download PDF pattern for the template. I cut it from a plastic folder and traced it will a ball point pen onto the vilene back of the purple fabric.

cutting out the 'petals'

Then I cut out the 'petals' making sure to cut off the ball point ink. Now I was ready for the appliqué.

pinning the purple petals

I pinned the 'petals' in place diagonally across the pieced squares.

I used some fleece to make a design wall and pinned up my practice piece

I chose a light purple thread #607 from the Bottom Line range of Superior Threads. This is a very fine thread designed to go in the bobbin but it's perfect for machine appliqué. This thread is so fine that it will disappear into the fabric.

# 607 Light Purple Bottom Line on top and #624 White in the pre-wound bobbin

These larger cones are cross wound and need to come off from the top of the cone. This thread stand allows me to use the economical larger cones with any sewing machine. I simply place the cone on the thread stand, thread it through the loop and thread the machine as normal.

This simple thread stand lets me take advantage of the larger cones

The amazing box feed on the Juki HZL Exceed 600 makes this machine a dream to machine appliqué with. The seams lie straight and flat with no puckering. Perfect! This raw edge appliqué technique is so much quicker than the hand basted method that I used the first time. I'm thrilled with how quickly the project is coming together.

the industrial box feed on the Juki Exceed 600 makes a lovely line of stitching

Leaf Butterfly

This project started out as a leaf card. I cut out leaf shapes from some new and old fabric and stitched them to brown card using a raw edge appliqué technique. Then, I started stitching some designs around the leaves but they just didn't turn out the way I'd hoped they would. So I cut the leaf shapes out of the original card and realized that they'd make a lovely butterfly.

Here I'm stitching down the centre part of the butterfly on my JUKI Exceed 600. I use this machine for all my piecing and crafting work.

I've used a variegated thread from Superior Thread's LAVA range on top and a pre-wound bobbin of Bottomline in the bobbin. I've got a 100/16 Topstitch titanium coated needle in the machine. It goes through multiple layers of fabric and card with no problem.

The finished card all ready to fly away to my sister in Baltimore. The butterfly card is a good example of how mistakes can morph into something unexpected.

Source: bit.ly via Martha on Pinterest

like an easel

 Art quilts are so liberating! There is no precise template so I can do whatever I like. For this 'little ship' project I used my Art Quilter frame just like an easel.  I loaded the 4 foot frame with some left over fleece which serves as the wadding and backing and two shades of blue fabric joined horizontally to create sea and sky. This was my 'canvas'.

 First, I created some texture using this # 807 Seashell from the  Rainbows Range of Superior Threads. We call this one of the magic threads as it has so many uses.

Here it serves perfectly as both waves and clouds.

Then I glued the pieces of the little ship directly onto the textured canvas...

The raw edge appliqué technique makes this a simple 'cut and paste job.

 
 This Appliglue is ideal, it dries soft and clear and can be sewn over.

With the ship in place, I changed the thread to a red So Fine and stitched the details,

 ...adding window panes and bunting flags. I'll probably add some buttons later but I was pleased with how quick and fun this Dunkirk 'little ship' project came together.

Here it is unpinned from the leaders and laid across the frame. As soon as the frame tension was off the clouds puffed up nicely. My little ship was completed in much less time than it took to blog about!

Marina Mamonova

Meeting Marina Mamonova was one of the best things about our Russian trip. Marina is a very famous Russian quilter. Before going to Russia I googled Marina and discovered that she had been to Birmingham for the Festival of Quilts just last August. Marina had her own gallery of quilts and she made such an impression that people are still talking about her work!

In the photo above, we are holding up one of Marina's amazing quilts. This quilt has a postcard theme. Actually the postcard was a theme that ran throughout the event. This particular quilt is like a postcard laying on a lace tablecloth. The intricate detail of the postcard is held together by a fine netting. 

I've posted some images here so you can see the exquisite detail.

Below is a detail of the raw edge appliqué that Marina used to create the lace around the 'post card'. Some things are so beautiful that they break your heart. This quilt is one of them!

Here, Marina is showing us another of her quilts. This quilt has a more abstract theme.

I hope my Russian friends will correct me if I am wrong, 

but I think that the name of this quilt translates as  

 'The Birth of the Blues'

This quilt incorporates such a vibrant use of colour and movement. Marina again is using a similar technique as a fine netting is holding all the very small pieces of fabric in place. You can see this in the detail of the quilt below. 

Marina is truly an amazing artist. It was an honour to meet her in Moscow and get a close up view of two of her quilts. I have a wonderful story about a quilt that Marina brought to our Birmingham show that I'll be telling in a future post. 

A final note about the postcard theme. Marina was invited to the JUKI sponsored seminar to give a master-class about using the JUKI Exceed sewing machines for free-motion machine quilting. And the project was, you guessed it,  POSTCARDS! This made me smile because Emily and I had brought a stack of our heart postcards. Our post cards used a very very simple version of the raw edged appliqué technique which also uses netting. Marina has shown us what this appliqué technique looks like in the hands of a true master!