Using Templates for Machine Appliqué

There are a couple of beginner-friendly techniques for machine appliqué which use templates.



One approach uses freezer paper and a glue stick; for the other, you'll need some sort of heat-resistance template material (I used lightweight cardboard) and starch. The two blocks on the left were created using the freezer paper-glue stick approach; the one on the right was made using a heat-resistant template and starch.

FREEZER PAPER TEMPLATES

For this method, you'll need freezer paper, a water soluble glue stick, a towel and some water.

1. Trace the design onto the non-shiny side of a piece of freezer paper.
   
   
2. Cut out the template (on the line) and iron it to the wrong side of the flower fabric.
   
   
   
   
3. Cut out the fabric, leaving approximately 1/4 inch seam allowance.
   
   
   
   
4. Using a piece of scrap paper to work on, apply glue stick to the seam allowances. Fold them back and stick them to the freezer paper. You will need to clip the fabric wherever there are inside curves.
   
   
   
   Your appliqué is now ready to use.
   
   
   
   
5. Using this technique, you do not need to make a template for the center of the Posy. The center fabric can be rough cut - it should be large enough to fit behind the flower element, extending beyond the edge at least 1/4 inch, but make your life easier and be generous. The center fabric should be prepared like the background, starched and pressed.
   
   
6. Begin assembling the block by sewing the flower to the center fabric. You can hold it in place with pins or a little glue stick. After it's sewn, turn the appliqué piece over and trim the excess center fabric, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
   
   
   
   
7. Place the Posy appliqué on the center of your background square. Pin or glue-stick in place.
   
   
   
   
8. Stitch the Posy in place, then turn over the block and cut away the background fabric behind the flower.
   
   
   
   
9. To remove the freezer paper, you must first loosen the glue. place the block on a towel and spray with water. (Again, my advice is to be generous and make your life easy - it's only water.) Use a q-tip, orange stick or similar tool to lift the seam allowances from the freezer paper, so you can remove it. Let the block dry and press or press it dry.
   
   
10. Square up the block and trim to 8.5 inches. You're done.
    
    
    
    This block was sewn using clear mono-filament with a blind hem stitch.
    

HEAT RESISTANT TEMPLATES

For this method, you'll need liquid or spray starch and some sort of heat-resistant template material. It could be heat-resistant template plastic (made especially for this technique) or some lightweight cardboard, like I used in my sample block. You'll also need q-tips or a small brush.

1. Create a template from your pattern.
   
   
2. Trace the template on the BACK of your flower fabric
   
   
   
   
3. Cut out the flower fabric, leaving approximately 1/4 inch seam allowance. Clip any inside curves, up to, but not into the drawn line.
   
   
4. Take template and fabric to the ironing board. Put the fabric right side down and place the template over it, lining it up on your drawn lines. Using a small brush or q-tip paint the starch on the seam allowance. If you are using spray atarch, you can spray some inside th lid then use the liquid with your brush. Fold the painted seam allowances up over the template and press in place.
   
   
   
   
5. Allow the fabric and template to cool, then gently remove the template. I press the fabric (and it's nicely turned under edge) one more time to make it nice and flat.
   
   
   
   
6. The assembly of the block is similar to that with freezer paper templates. The center fabric should be starched and pressed then pinned in place.
   
   
7. Stitch the flower to the center
   
   
   
   
8. Turn the Posy over and trim the center fabric, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
   
   
   
   
9. Center the Posy on the background square and pin in place. Stitch.
   
10. Turn the block over and cut away the background fabric from behind the flower.
    
    
    
    
11. Press the block, square up the block and trim to 8.5 inches and you're done .
    
    
    
    This block was sewn with purple matching thread using straight stitch.
    

Preparing Circular Appliqué Elements

This Posy block was made using the Faced Appliqué that I described in the Intro post, with a variation for preparing the Posy's center. This technique works for circles, ovals and their wonky variations.

PREPARING CIRCLES FOR APPLIQUE

1. Create a template from light-weight cardboard or heat-resistant template plastic. If you are making small circle appliqués, you may find a coin or washer that is exactly the size you need.
   
   
2. Lightly trace the template on the back of your yellow/gold fabric
   
   
   
   
3. Cut out the center with a generous 1/4" seam allowance all the way around.
   
   
   
   
4. Using needle and thread, make a running stitch in the seam allowance.
   
   
   
   
5. Place your center fabric right side down, place the template on top, then pull the thread to pull the seam allowance to the back of the template. PRESS. Allow the fabric/template to cool, then gently loosen the stitches and remove the template.
   
   
   
   
   You should have a nicely pressed center with all the edges turned under. I usually give it another press to make it nice and flat and ready to use.
   
   
   
   
6. The steps for assembling the Posy block are the same as for Faced Appliqué. Center the flower appliqué on the background. Fuse or pin in place.
   
   
7. Sew the flower to the background - on this block, I used matching red-violet and yellow thread and a zig-zag stitch.
   
   
8. Turn it over and cut away the background (and the interfacing fused to it) from behind the flower.
   
   
   
   
9. Place the center on the flower and pin in place.
   
   
10. Stitch center.
    
    
11. Turn over the block and cut away the flower fabric from behind the center
    
    
    
    
12. Press the block. Square it up and trim to 8.5 inches. You're done ;-)
    
    
    
    

Machine Appliqué - an introduction

This month, the Beginner Block Lotto choice is this Posy block--it's a great one to try or practice turned-under machine applique. I thought this introduction might be of interest to the newbie quilters in Doll Quilt Swap II, so I am posting my notes here.



I made five blocks using three different techniques (with one variation) and three different stitches on the machine and took photos along the way. You can view my step-by-step photos with commentary on Flickr in my set Notes for Machine Appliqué Posies. I'll also go through them here--to make it easier to print them off for reference. As always, all the images are clickable for a larger image.

ABOUT THREAD AND STITCHES

Using these techniques, there will be nice, turned under edges on the appliqué. You want the nice edge to be the feature, not the thread. Use a clear (or smoke) mono-filament or mono-poly or thread in a matching color.

Three kinds of machine stitches work well with these techniques.

1. Blind Hem Stitch - when using this stitch, the straight stitches go into the background at the applique edge, then the zig stitch comes into the appliqué.
   
   
2. Zig-Zag Stitch - this is an open zig zag, not a heavy satin stitch. Use this stitch On the applique, at the edge.
   
   
3. Straight Stitch - even IF your machine only sews a straight stitch, you can still do machine appliqué. In fact, Jane Sassaman recommends using a straight stitch to highlight the nice turned under edge.
   

PREPARING THE BACKGROUND FABRIC

First, two things about backgrounds.

1. For all three of the methods here, take a minute and starch the background squares. I usually spray the fabric pretty heavily, wait for it to soak in a bit, then press and repeat.
   
   
2. Applique sometimes pulls the background in a bit, so start with a background square a little larger then you need and square up after the block is complete. For Posy blocks for the lotto, I started with 9-inch squares and squared them up to 8.5 inches for a block that will finish at 8 inches.
   

FACED APPLIQUE

In this method, you'll add a facing to the applique piece. I used a lightweight interfacing with fusible on ONE SIDE ONLY (Pellon's Featherweight). You could use an interfacing with no fusible or lightweight washaway stabilizer. Some use USED dryer sheets--if you decide to go this route, Debbie Kravotil suggests putting them through the wash one more time to make sure the softener chemicals are out.

1. Trace the shape of your flower onto the non-fusible side of the interfacing. (the interfacing can be a rough cut square that is larger than the flower pattern--with room for seam allowance all the way around.
   
   
2. Lay the fabric right side up on the table and position the interfacing on top, fusible side down.
   
   
3. Sew along your drawn line--ALL the way around. Trim the fabric and interfacing away 3/16-1/4 outside your seam. Clip any inside curves in the seam allowance.
   
   
   


4. Carefully slit the interfacing and turn your flower. Use your finger or other blunt tool to make sure the edges are completely turned and nice and smooth. If you used interfacing with fusible, DO NOT PRESS.
   
   
   


5. Prepare the center in the same way
   
   
   
   Your appliqué pieces are ready to go.
   
   
   
   
6. Center the flower on the background square. If you are using single-sided fusible, you can press the flower onto the background --this will fuse it in place. Otherwise, pin it.
   
   
7. Stitch around the flower. If you are using an open zig-zag, the stitch will be ON the flower, zigging onto the background. If you are using a blind hem, you'll be stitching on the background right next to the flower and the stich will take a bite into the flower. If you are using a straight stitch, you want to stitch very close to the edge.
   
   
8. Flip your block over and cut away the background behind the flower, leaving a generous 1/4 inch.




9. Add the center of the flower in the same way. Fuse and sew the center to the Flower fabric. Flip it over and trim away the flower fabric behind the center.
   
   
   


10. Square up the finished block and trim to 8.5 inches and you're done ;-)
    
    
    
    This block was sewn with clear mono-filament using the blind hem stitch.