Margo wrote:
Yes she is! Congratulations!!!

Our Dana is a STAR!!! Congratulations on your win with the "New from Old" contest from the Alliance for American Quilts!!

Beautiful Dana.

Dana, your work is beautiful. I will give it a try after I finish the current quilt. I am so used to hand applique which I would rather do more than anything, but I've got to get on my horse and start the tulip quilts for my granddaughters. I showed the pattern to the oldest to see if she would like it and the younger one said " I want one, too." Why didn't I know that? Judy in AZ

I love raw edge applique. I never thought I would, but have used it continually for the past several years. It just kinda makes the pieces stand up on the quilt. I'm sure there are lots of threads that do a beautiful job with this applique technique, but I have found the King Tut to be great for it. And also here on the green piece, I used Sulky Blendable Thread for the first time, and I liked it very much too. The many color changes of the threads just make the pieces come to life. Here's a piece of the applique in the quilt I'm doing now.....so much fun!

Lorna, I guess I had better bite the bullet and just start. thanks for your input. Judy in HOT AZ

I am loving fused applique with the blanket stitch on the edges. I am doing it pretty much the way ALex showed in her classroom with some techniques demonstarted by Sue Nichols when she was on the Quilt Show. Her sister Pat Holly also showed doing the blanket stitched raw edge fused applique. I only use the 1/4 inch of fusible around the edge like Sue demonstrated and then I think she had a 1.9 length and 2.2 width blanket stitch on the 830. Only reason I know that is I just came from my computer where I am working on June's Hugs and Kisses block with this technique. Previously I have done applique with needle turn (the 2008 TQS BOM) but wanted to try something different and faster this time around. My next applique adventure I will probably try Alex's ironed under edges with the little tiny invisible hem stitch. That seems to give great results.

Thanks again, Alex, I have been reluctant to try machine applique. I want to do a tulip quilt for my granddaughter but she would be all grown up if I took the time to hand applique. Judy in AZ

I would use the blanket stitch with the width made smaller - This would be for quilts that probably would not be used.....Ricky uses a double blanket stitch - I think this gives the edge a little more protection. And yes, I use a light weight fusable -

Thanks, Alex, so you would use the blanket stitch on finished and raw edge applique? And the raw edge would be on a fusible for stability? Judy in AZ

Check out lesson number 17 - I think that is the way to go for raw edge machine applique......

Alex, now that you have taught us all how to machine applique a finished edge, are you going to have a series of lessons on raw edge applique? Judy in AZ