 Most people working with soft furnishings of all descriptions have an iron
and ironing surface in their work space. Pressing fabric to create your seam
lines makes assembling pieces and blocks that much easier. Having said that,
many people do prefer to finger press the edges of the smaller pieces, and
when all is said and done, it is personal preference and skill level that
informs your decision.
However, for rotary cutting, when you need to create the cross fabric line
for cutting, it does make it much easier if you use the iron. Before you cut
the cross line, fold the material selvedge edge to selvedge edge and ensure
the material lies smooth with the grain of the material in the fold. Then
fold it again so the first fold and the two selvedge edges are aligned.
Machine stitching large quilts can be quite tricky. If you don’t have a
massive work table that will hold the complete quilt, try putting together
some pasting tables, or support some board on chairs. You will find it much
easier to work if the quilt is not catching on the edge of your work table
and being weighted down.
You can find a host of information on ‘how to’ with quilting, in books, on
the internet and in craft magazines. However it’s much more fun to find
someone who has a level of expertise, and volunteer to work with them on one
of their own quilts – you gain experience, and hopefully friendship.
Appliqué is a really decorative medium that allows your artistic skills full
scope. It’s a lovely way to incorporate personal, or any detail really, and
it’s possible to do something really very simple, or really very complex and
highly worked.
Some of the very popular American styles are called ‘sun bonnet Sue’
Basically, they consist of a bonnet, a triangular shaped dress with curved
bottom hem, an arm, and a foot – and of course any ancillary figures you
like – umbrella, duck, dog, kitten, etc. You can use any mix of fabrics, and
you can decorate the fabrics with stitching for details, like buttons, shoe
laces, dress or bonnet trims etc.
These are wonderful for bed covers and wall hangings in little girls’
bedrooms, cot covers, bed covers etc.
There are lots of ways of using appliqué, and they are all correct! The only
wrong way, is a way you don’t feel comfortable with.
You can create your whole figure first and then either tuck in the edges as
you go – a toothpick or large darning needle both work well – and use
whichever stitch you prefer. On some pieces, blanket stitch will look just
right, and on others you won’t want to see any stitching so you can use a
hemming catch stitch or running stitch.
Appliqué is a great way to make smaller wall hangings, where you want to
create a picture. Let’s say you want to have some simple flowers on a
relatively plain background. Choose the fabrics you want, whether they are
contrasting or complementary, and draw out your design. Decide whether you
want any embroidery, or whether you want to create a mix of fabric as the
back ground. Then create your appliqué pieces, padded and backed if
required, but not if you prefer not, and then secure them to your background
quilt.
Of course you can use appliqué on all sorts of things, and not just on
quilts.
And you can buy ready made motifs if you wish, and use these to decorate
plain quilts, or even to hide any damage. There are lots of patterns
available on the internet or in mail order catalogues.
You can mix and match with appliqué and collage – so some pieces are
invisibly stitched and others can be clearly in relief, with edges, trailing
ribbons, whatever works with your design.
The main thing is not to be scared of having a go – you can assemble most of
your appliqué or collage before fixing to your quilt – its great fun and
really not difficult.
Using painted or batik colored fabric for quilts is great fun too.
Another great way of incorporating your individual ideas and designs into
quilts is to use fabric that you have hand painted or treated in the batik
style. You can use the color lines as stitching lines, or combine stitch
patterns with color lines as you wish.
Trawl the internet, visit your local craft museums, look at paintings or
designs anywhere and everywhere.
You will find hundreds of thousands of ideas about what you might like your
quilts to look like – or ideas that help you create your own unique design.
You can use paint, ribbon, all sorts of dress making or furnishing store
items, motifs, embroidery pieces – embroidery faces even, absolutely
anything. |