Last weekend I did a one-day workshop on machine applique at the most amazing fabric shop - Grandmother's Garden in Gordonton. It is a beginners' class - which was just right for me. I wanted to learn the "official" way to do applique and this is exactly what the workshop delivered. It turns out that you need a few props to help (see below), but the biggest thing you need is a good relationship with your sewing machine. * pattern - mirrored! yes those maths classes were useful after all, * fabric scraps * machine with an applique foot and thin needle * starch spray * steam & seam * (may need baking paper if your backing fabric is not sheer enough to see the pattern) * pencil & sewing supplies We did blocks from the Elegant Garden quilt by Edyta Sitar. I did Block 13. The biggest challenge for me was getting to know my machine and its rotations. This is really important because you want the blanket stich to be right on the edge of the fabric. I used black sewing thread for a slightly different contrast look. My block ended up as a little pillow. Love a bit of machine applique but it is not for those in a rush! |