CUTTING ONE COLOR DESIGNS
CUTTING MULTI COLOR DESIGNS
BASTING
APPLIQUÉING
APPLIQUÉING ONE COLOR DESIGNS
APPLIQUÉING MULTICOLOR DESIGNS
PUTTING THE LAYERS TOGETHER

Fold the appliqué into eighths, creasing the folds. Be sure that your fabric doesn't slip as you fold. Because you are folding fabric in multiple layers your design will never be perfectly symmetrical. This doesn't matter too much with pillow or small wall hanging size patterns, but can be of concern on larger projects as the folded fabric can be unwieldy.

Once folded, you can pin the folds together at various places, so that the fabric doesn't slip. You can choose to pin the pattern onto the fabric at the same time, later, or, once the fabric is pinned, lay the pattern on it and trace around the design. But wait. Have you allowed for the appliqué turn under allowance? Have you added an inch for a cutting allowance? If so, you're ready to cut out the appliqué design.

You're traced your patterns for the different design parts (see Making Your Own Patterns ). Determine the size squares of different fabric colors.  After folding the fabric into eighths, trace your pattern pieces onto their respective fabric colors. Have you allowed for the appliqué turn under allowance. Have you added an inch for a cutting allowance. If so, you're ready to cut out the appliqué design. Following the Cutting Out a One Color Design above, cut out your patterns for the different colors in your design, including any joiner strips.

So, you've cut out your design, you have your background fabric measurement and the square cut out and you're ready to baste the appliqué and background together.

First fold the background fabric in eighths. This will help you center the appliqué design. Unfold the background and match the folds of the appliqué to the background. Your design is magically centered. Starting from the center, pin the appliqué to the background. It is very important that you smooth the fabric gently (without stretching) as you pin.

If you have cut your design out very precisely allowing for a uniform turn under allowance, place your basting stitches twice that measurement in from the edge of your cut fabric. For example, if you have cut your appliqué design allowing for a 3/16th turn under, set your basting stitches 3/8ths in from the edge of your fabric cut edge. That way you can turn your fabric under until the cut edge butts up against the basting stitch to give you an automatic guide for an even 3/16ths turn under allowance. Of course, there will be exceptions here and there (like those points and "v's") but, in general, this method will help you maintain a consistent turn under allowance.

How long should your basting stitches be? Whatever is comfortable for you - perhaps 1/2" long. You want them hold the fabric in place, yet be easy to remove later. Don't baste the joiner strips, you will be cutting them off once the appliqué is basted..

Again, as you baste, be sure to smooth the fabric, taking out the pins if you feel the fabric puckered. It is so important to form a habit of doing this preparation work during these early stages. It may seem unnecessary, especially on smaller pieces, but you will come to understand it's worth once you've graduated to larger projects. If your appliqué is not centered and not smooth to the background then you will have problems with your appliqué and later with your quilting. Remember, always set a solid foundation.

It takes practice. If you are just starting I would suggest you practice appliquéing on some fabric scraps first until you are comfortable with your stitching. Practice your points and valleys, you inner and outer curves. Practice on different type of fabrics so you can see which you like best; which are easiest to work with; which fray the most. Use a hoop, don't use a hoop. Make notes, make a little notebook of your sample fabrics. Consider it research that will give you a firm foundation for any future appliqué project.

There are many ways to appliqué. There are many good books, websites and teachers that will explain and teach the different techniques. You should try these different ways to see which you like best.

Basically, the appliqué used for Hawaiian-style projects is needle turn. No freezer paper just turning the fabric ahead under as you work with the tip of your needle. You'll need stitches at least 1/8th apart. At places where you have clipped your fabric to make it easier to turn under, you will need to take two or three extra stitches at that point to to ensure the fabric doesn't wiggle out or fray.

You can use white thread, but it's better to try to match the color of the fabric you are appliquéing so that your stitches don't show. Be sure to cut off any "tails" and make sure there are no loose appliqué or basting threads left behind as they could show through, especially on a wall hanging or quilt. When starting or finishing a thread make the tinniest knot possible - you don't want any bumps showing.

If your finished appliquéd piece looks dirty, now is the time to wash and iron it before starting to layer it with your batting and backing fabric.

Start at a center point, perhaps at the bottom of a "V" and start to appliqué around the entire design. At the bottom of a "V" you will have to snip the fabric so that you can more easily turn the fabric on either side under. To prevent the bottom of the "v" fraying, take three or so little stitches.

You may have to snip at certain points to ease the fabric enough to have something to turn under or so the fabric doesn't stretch. See the illustrated instructions for this and for making points on the How-To section of this website.

Try to make your appliqué stitches, evenly spaced, about a 1/8th to 3/16ths of an inch apart. To start or end threads take a backstitch or two rather than knotting your thread.

Follow the directions above. Appliqué in layers starting with the one(s) closest to the background fabric - usually the leaf portion of the design.
Make sure that the stems reach under the flower petals far enough so they are covered when the flower is appliquéd. If you are doing a design with a stamen, it would probably be appliquéd under the flower also.

Your appliquéd top is washed and ironed and looking pretty good. Now it's time to add the batting and the muslin (if making a pillow) or backing fabric (if making a wall hanging or bed quilt).

You have chosen your batting weight (thin - low loft or fat - high loft). Remember if only high loft batting is available, you can always tear it in half making it half the thickness. You want to use a bonded batting so that it won't separate and clump up.

Cut your backing fabric or muslin square the same size as your appliquéd background fabric. Cut your batting a little bigger so that it sticks out around the edges - an even distance on all sides. Set the backing fabric or muslin down first on a table top, then the batting, then your appliquéd top. Smooth out from the center in all directions. Now you're ready to pin the layers together.

Starting from the center pin the layers, again, remembering to smooth as you go. You don't want the batting bunching up or the bottom layer of fabric to crease or pucker. When you are finished and satisfied that all is in place, you are ready to baste the layers together.

You are going to baste a grid. That means rows going vertically and rows going horizontally across the entire fabric area. For a pillow size you may want those rows to be about 3" apart, forming a 3" grid pattern of squares. For larger projects those rows can be further apart, perhaps twice that size for a bed quilt. The purpose of this basting is to keep the layers from slipping as you quilt.

Again, smooth as you go. While you may reposition a pin to accommodate a basting stitch, leave your pins in until your basting grid is complete. Your basting stitches for a pillow size project  might be half an inch long; longer on a wall hanging or bed quilt. You can determine that with each project, keeping in mind that their purpose is to hold the layers together without moving. Once basted, take out the pins and you're ready to start quilting.

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