May I ask a question?

What is your favorite applique method? Needleturn, starch, glue stick, etc by hand? Or is it turned edge, raw edge, etc by machine? I'm still saving my pennies to buy my background. I hope people are still doing Kim's projects and this blog is still active when I finally get to start.
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Flower Pots Side Panel

Wahoo! I finally got another block finished with my Flower Pots. This is the first time I've ever worked with such a large panel but it seemed to squash up pretty well as I worked on the hand applique. I usually just sort of roll it into my hand to get to the place I need to sew.

Nancy from Tattered Garden gave me a couple of tips that were very helpful. She suggested using the "Roxanne's Glue-Baste-It!" to lay out my stems, using tiny dots to hold them in place before I began stitching. It worked so well! I just needed to remember to leave some open spots where I had to tuck a leaf under. Also, she suggested using a toothpick to put a tiny dab of glue from a glue stick when sewing the inner curves - that also worked well. Thanks, Nancy!

Hearts and Flowers Center

In an earlier post, Theresa asked about the center panel to Kim's Hearts and Flowers quilt.  This was probably the largest applique' block that I'd ever done, and here is how I did it.  First I traced the heart onto freezer paper - the outside fingers, the inside heart, and the middle heart. 

Then I machine basted the center horizontal and vertical lines onto my background fabric and traced the applique' design on the background with a Mark B Gone pen.  I ironed the freezer paper to the dotted fabric and drew around it with a Sew Line chalk pencil. 

 I did a rough cut around those outside fingers, but didn't do the final trim until an inch or so before I did the actual needle turn.  Then before I trimmed the inside of the heart away, I went back to the machine and basted on the line for the inside heart.  The Mark B Gone pen shows through on the back.  The line for the heart gave me a guideline for placing the inside heart.

I cut the heart shape out of the center of the freezer paper so after I appliqued the center heart to the middle heart fabric, I'd have a guideline to use to trace the applique' line on the middle heart fabric.

This is my center so far.  I still have a few berries and tongues to finish before the center is complete, but I've had a lot of fun fussy cutting leaves and berries from my fabrics.  My Stars and Sprigs has been shipped, so I've got to step it up a bit.   

I won!!

OMG!! I'm on vacation and finally got online and what do I see? My name in big letters. Thanks to Liza, Kim and Kathy for providing the gift and to Pam for pulling my name.
I'll post pics when my gift gets here. I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!

Flower Pots

This is my first time to show some of my applique on this blog. I do needle-turn applique by hand, using freezer paper on the right side of the fabric for my pattern pieces. These are my first two blocks of Flower Pots by Kim McLean. I did order the kit but also have quite a nice stash of Kaffe fabrics so I have used many of the same fabrics as Kim.
The applique goes so easily as the pattern pieces are large and easy curves, yet show off the beautiful fabrics. Thanks, Kim, for wonderful designs! I love viewing everyone's fabric choices for these patterns.

Tools of the Trade

This is the outside of a great applique carrier that I bought several years ago from a Canadian quilter named Annette Johnston. Her company is Nature's Colours. Unfortunately, she no longer makes them. I love this bag!!!

Here are some pics of the inside. I keep my scissors, markers, and my trusty seam ripper on this page.

I have several different sizes and kinds of needles. Right now, my favorite is John James Milliners needle, size 11.

I have my Clover applique pins and another brand that's even smaller.

These are my Mettler cotton 60/2 threads. I got them when I took a class with Pat Campbell of Jacobean Applique fame. I've also got a donut bobbin saver with Masterpiece thread in the Frostings line. I know, I know. I don't have nearly enough. lol Give me time!!

This is the back page. I have my Clover needle threader that I couldn't live without, some Roxanne glue and my toothpicks. I can't fit the Cracker Barrel toothpick holder in here; it's way too big. I have KKB's Perfect Circles but I'm not sure where I put them :(

I keep the blocks and pieces I'm working on folded up inside of the bag and I can just pick up and head out at a moment's notice. I also use the overlay method. I took a Becky Goldsmith class once and I like it much better than any other way of lining everything up.

My Hearts and Flowers Quilt

I bought the Quilt Romance book because I was bound I was going to make the pickle dish quilt that is on the cover.  I didn't even flip through the book because I was in a hurry, and after all it's a Kaffe book. Even if you never make a single quilt from his books, the photos are inspirational enough to warrant owning the book.  Imagine my surprise when I sat down to look at the book and found a Kim McLean pattern.  I couldn't stop looking at the Hearts and Flowers quilt.  Then I found your group and decided to start the quilt and join in.

I know I should have pulled all of the fabrics first, but I couldn't decide on what to do for the heart.....

So I jumped to Border 3 and started applequeing the hearts and leaves.  I'm trying to narrow down choices for the heart before I go much farther.  I may need to regroup, go shopping or both. 
LuAnn