AboutConnie Hester Expertise Quilting and applique expert.Can advise on the following topics:quilting, art quilts, quilt design and construction, machine and hand quilting, paper foundation piecing, machine piecing, hand piecing, raw edge applique, turned-edge applique and fiber art.
Experience Winning awards in international fiber and art competitions since 1983; http://www.conniehester.com/
BS,MS
See my work and books at http://www.conniehester.com/
Question The pieces I have are 1900 butterfly shapes. I have never appliqued before. How do I do this. I am concerned with the curves. I have looked at pictures of butterfly quilts and it looks like they are appliqued onto a block which is then made into a quilt. The design I saw was 4 butterflies in a circle .
Thank you.
Answer There are many ways to applique.
If possible, one way is to turn raw edges under 1/8-1/4" and blindstitch them to a background fabric. Sometimes curves and points need to be clipped within 1 thread of the finished edge in order for them to lay flat.
Another way is to use embroidery floss and hand-stitch a blanket-stitch over the edges, ....
or do a machine satin-stitch over the raw edges, ....
or do a free-motion multi-stitch zig-zag over the edges, ....
or, iron fusible web to the backside and iron into place, ....
or do a straight machine-stitch 1/8-1/4" within the raw edge, to name the most frequently used techniqes.
Each single technique would require extensive directions, too much to include in an email exchange.
The best thing to do would be to look at some instructional books on how to do applique at your local library, or go to http://www.google.com, and type "how to applique" into the search box. I found these webpages listed along with many others:
If any of these webpages do not open on your browser, go to the main website listed within the URL (the dot-com address), and follow links indicated in the rest of the website address.
