Machine Appliqueing the Dresdens

Hi Everyone,

This is the last of my tutorials showing you how I've been constructing the Dresden Doilies Quilt.

Once the "plates" and the centers are ready to go, I appliequed them on by machine using a blind hem stitch.  Many people use this technique and I'm sure that there are whole books out there on the subject, but this should help you at least visualize things a bit.

 

The first thing to do is to change feet from a 1/4" foot to a wider, zig zag foot.  I like one with an open toe, so you can see.  I didn't have an open toe foot, but my husband fixed that with his dremel--he removed the bar that ran across it, and I haven't regretted it for a minute!

 

Next select your blind hem stitch.  It looks like this one on the right:



What the stitch will do is take around 4 straight stitches, and then jump to the left and take a "bite" by making one zig zag stitch, and the repeat with the straight stitches.

This photo is supposed to be vertical.  I adjust the controls from the "default" or suggested settings for the stitch.  I shorten the stitch considerable, to make the "bites" closer together.  I also narrow the stitch width so the "bite" isn't too wide.  You can continue to adjust as you work.

The next consideration is thread selection.  I use as fine of thread as possible, so it is less noticeable.  I assumed that since I was appliqueing light shapes (in the case of the Dresden plates) onto a red background, that I should use light thread on top.  However, I noticed that the light straight stitches showed along the edge, so I used red instead.  It is so fine, that the one little "bite" stitch really didn't show too much on the light applique.  I used Invisafil thread on the top in red and a light Superior So Fine thread in the bobbin.

Here is a sample: 

The star fabric represents the applique piece and the lighter fabric is the background.  Set things up so that the straight part of the stitch is running right next to the applique piece, and not on.  Slowly start the machine and watch until it takes the few straight stitches and then jumps to the left to take the "bite" stitch.

Can you see that the needle has jumped over to the applique and is taking the "bite" stitch?  In the photo, I can see that it is probably jumping too far to the left--I can adjust the stitch width narrower, so the bite won't be as big.

Here you can see that the needle isn't as far over as it was above.  Just continue on--you don't have to go real fast, keep it nice and slow, watching so that each jump takes its bite of the applique and that the straight stitches are staying right next to the applique.

This is the result.  You can really see it because of the red thread.  Once you practice a bit, it is time to work on the real thing.

Going around a curve or circle is a little different, but I go slow to keep the needle right on the edge of the applique.

When done, you can barely see the stitches.  And it is so much faster than doing it by hand!

I am packed up and ready to head out to my retreat.  There is actually a few things left in my quilt room, but not much, ha ha!

Have a great day!
JoAnne

 

Dresden Centers

Hi Everyone!

I have now packed approximately 46 potential projects to take to my 4 day retreat.  Alright, I suppose I'm exaggerating a bit, but it doesn't feel like it.  The thing is that I'm obsessing so much with having everything I need for each project that I'm sure I'll do something dumb like forget my machine's foot pedal.  Or my pillow. 

I also worked on my challenge quilt.  I wanted to get it off my table and out of the way.  The plan was to do an applique quilt, but with fusible.  I got the background prepped, stems basted on and traced all the patterns, ironed the fusible to the fabric, cut out all the shapes, carefully arranged them, removed the paper, and fused them in place.  And something didn't look quite right.  I kept looking at the photo of the quilt and then at mine and it seemed like mine was too big or something.  The pattern shapes were, like most magazine patterns, on an insert.  They were all on one part of the folded insert next to a fold.  I opened out the insert and discovered the instructions on the other side that said to "enlarge the pattern pieces by 200%!"  I've never seen any templates in magazines that needed to be enlarged!  Did I mention that I'd already fused everything in place?!  Ugh!  I was able to peel them all off, but the project is being set aside for now.  I'm not sure if it is going to get finished now, either.  I'm not just frustrated by the fact that I made a mistake.  I'm also a bit unhappy about how easy it was to peel off the fused shapes.  This was a new product for me that is supposed to be "the best" and I followed all instructions, I prewashed the fabric and used no softener, and the pieces still came right off. 

Anyway, I want to share with you today how I did the centers of my Dresden plate blocks.  The pattern instructions in the magazine say to use raw edges and an applique glue--so in effect, you trace a circle, cut it out and glue it on.  I want to machine applique instead, so I needed to come up with a way to get a nice, smooth circle.  Have you ever tried to applique circles?  It isn't easy to get a nice circle.  I love the Perfect Circle templates, but I don't have the larger set, so I had to think of another way.

In my other life, I am a scrapbooker.  Okay, to be fair, I think I now have to say that I WAS a scrapbooker since I haven't touched it in nearly 2 years, that I packed away many of my supplies to make room for more quilting stuff, and most importantly--I haven't bought any new supplies in nearly 2 years.  However, I still have (and use) many of the tools.  One of the tools that I really like is my Cricut paper cutter.  It cuts many shapes in different sizes easily.  I used it to cut three different sizes of circles from cardstock for my centers.  I cut at least one for every circle I needed because I wasn't sure I would be able to reuse them.

Here is one of the perfectly cut cardstock circles, these are the finished size of the centers.

 

I then cut circles from my fabric that were an inch or more larger than the cardstock circles.  I look around for something round that is handy and close to the right size.  When I was fussy cutting the medallion fabric for my large centers, I used a blank CD.  The middle of the CD is clear and there is a hole so I could see that the motif was perfectly centered in my circle.  It worked like a charm!

 

 

I then took my cardstock and fabric circles downstairs by the TV.  Whenever I was watching something, I worked on the centers. 

I did a running stitch all the way around the circle near the edge, but not too close.    Then I place the cardstock piece in the center of the fabric (against the wrong side of the fabric) and pulled up the thread, as tight as I could, and knotted it off.

Like so.

 

Next I took them to the ironing board and pressed them with a hot iron both from the back side and the front side.

 

I sprayed them with starch and pressed again on both sides.  Carefully!  You don't want to burn the paper.  Once they are dry again and cool, I clipped some of the stitches and carefully removed the cardstock.

 You can see that the seam allowance has pulled slightly open, so I carefully pressed it down again.  Can you see how the cardstock is wrinkly because the starch got it wet?  That was why I cut one for each center, I wasn't sure how well they would work a second time, but I misplaced one, so I reused an old one, and it worked fine.

The results--perfectly turned, smooth circles!

 

If I didn't have the Cricut, I would have carefully cut circle templates from no-melt template plastic and used them.

 



 

I finished appliqueing the 9 small dresdens to the center so now I'm ready to add the borders.  They require 16 medium plates and 16 more small plates.

 

 

I will also share how I'm doing the machine applique.

Have a great day!
JoAnne