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About Connie 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/
 
   

You are here:  Experts > Home/Garden > Arts and Crafts > Quilting > appliques on baby blanket

Topic: Quilting



Expert: Connie Hester
Date: 9/8/2008
Subject: appliques on baby blanket

Question
I am appliqueing for the first time.  I will use a Kenmore sewing machine.  I have recently purchased a walking presser foot because I was told that minky (the type of fabric I am using for background and appliques) is slippery and sometimes feeds improperly through the machine.  Now I am wondering: is a walking foot used only for straight stitching?  Or is it also used for appliqueing?  I have a zigzag and a satin-stitch presser foot as well as a normal presser foot.  Thanks.

Answer
Minky fabric is not appropriate for machine appliqueing onto. As you have been told by others, it is very slippery. You will end up with a mess.

If you absolutely must use the minky as a background, I would hand-applique the motifs onto it.

A walking foot is used for straight stitching. It makes the bottom layer of fabric feed through the machine at the same rate as the top layer, in order to prevent puckering of the bottom layer. It is not used for applique. It is most widely used for machine quilting straight lines. Marketing may suggest using it for velvet (or even minky), but I have never found it to be useful for that.


Connie Hester

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