I'm trying to picture Kathy during her demonstrations, Robin - I think she is right-handed but wouldn't swear to it. I am married to a lefty and I totally agree with your statement about compensating differently. The world is just not geared to communicate well with left-handed people, shame on us.

Barb in Alabama

That's interesting, Barb! Do you remember if Kathy Kansier is left-handed? I'm a leftie, and I've found that working toward myself works best for me. I sort of work diagonally (from upper-left to bottom-right), with the turned edge toward me. That way I can see what I'm doing, and my needle-turn appliqué improved dramatically once I figured out that way of working. I had a conversation with several quilters one time (over dinner at Empty Spools at Asilomar ) about how left-handed people make adjustments to the right-handed world. The consensus was that all lefties translate from right to left, but all do it in our own ways, rather than there being a consistent way of making that translation.

Getting ready to start Month 1 (wanted to finish 2014 first) so haven't done hands-on yet. But I wanted to mention something I learned in a class with Kathy Kansier at Houston last year - she did a full-day applique class, lots of great info and handouts.

She showed us 2 ways of holding the applique for needleturn: you can have the turned edge away from you, which is what I grew up doing, but you can also have the turned edge facing you so that the 'turn-under' edge of the applique is visible. This second way seemed awkward for all of 5 seconds, and then I realized how valuable it could be to be able to work from both aspects of the applique. It gives you a little more flexibility to deal with various curves and points, also to rest your wrists because the angles are a little different.

I am right-handed so work from right to left using either way, but from the perspective of the applique, the direction of stitching is opposite between the 2 ways.

Thought I would mention in case this helps anybody.

Barb in Alabama
cold again today bah humbug

I'd use a blunt one to snap, and believe me I get through some seam rippers at work!

And will be great for controlling that last 1/4 " as you seam. Who's going to snap their seam ripper

Quilters are clever ( and frugal, except when it comes to spending money on fabric)! Good job, Renata.

What a great idea!

Love it, Renata! Waste not...

Okay, this happened purely by accident. Quite a while back, my seam ripper broke as I was using it--one of the prongs broke off because I was trying to separate the lid from a King Tut spool of thread with it... never threw it away because I could still cut the thread when pulling a pieced block off the machine with it. But, now, I took a cutter to the other prong, then filed the rough edges a bit and I can use it to hold my applique' pieces down when turning the edges! Just in case you want to break a seam ripper...

I think that's a given, when I moisten the toothpick.

Is that so you don't get chocolate on your fingers?

yum. I have a toothpick

Wendy, You can do it!

For all those who do needle turn applique! Yay Wendy!