I took a class from Suzanne Marshall many years ago at an Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy. She is a fabulous quilter....and....a fabulous person in everyday life. She is a breast cancer survivor, and a very inspirational person.

I have just watched the Suzanne Marshall show #203 and for anyone doing needleturn she shows how to get the prefect point on leaves.

Eileen, the Stable Stuff is what I use for my foundations for machine applique, and I love the way I can get my points shaped before I ever start stitching them to the foundation! More info is in the TQS classrooms link: [url]learn/classrooms/[/url]

I watched the Sharon Schamber video. I don't know if I want the extra step. I might use it for the leaves since my points usually suck.
Would the Ricky Tims Stable Stuff be too thick?

BTW...if you missed it the first time around, you might want to go back and review the TQS Episode #408 where Alex demonstrates how she prepares and machine stitches appliques and how to add a "crumb catcher" to the binding of a quilt.

[url]watch/watch-shows/video/show-408-all-about-neutrals[/url]

Great job, Judy! Thanks for taking the time to list the links and tell your process. Margo's classes and webshots are so very valuable.

This block might be overwhelming for some and it really helps to show the various steps along the way. Just take baby steps, and it will get done!

Judy, I really enjoy your choice of colors for your leaves. I just used that same fabric today, the one with the swirl and the yellow dot, for a stem on a Jo Morton quilt that I am making, Chocolate Mint. Also, is that a black and red check, for berries?

I second that motion! I'm glad for the help!

Judy,
Thanks for referencing all the great tutorials. We are rapidly accumulating a great fund of knowledge in our forum, and it is so helpful for someone to keep it all straight for us. May I nominate you to be the official Ruffled Roses librarian?

Thanks for all the details of your process, Judy! I love the batting idea to organize small pieces!

Judy,

Your fabrics are wonderful! And the colors are great! I see an autumn quilt forming here. Very rich! I, too, will be hand sewing. I'll be thinking of you with each stitch!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Prep is done for block 1. I am using some new to me products and techniques. I am hand sewing my center block.

For the vine applique I'm using C&Ts Wash Away Applique Sheets. I cut the center block the finished size and lined up both pieces of the vine to get the spacing correct. I used Margo's suggestion of marking the diagnonal with chalk to line up the pieces. I also used Elmer's washable glue to stabilize threads at deep inside curves. Margo's BOM instructions and 3 classes! in the classroom are jam packed with information.
Margo's BOM instructions [url]learn/all-boms[/url]
Piping tutorial http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/images/lessons/5/1095/1095_2011_tqs_bom_3_mini_piping.pdf
Machine applique http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/images/lessons/6/1096/1096_2011_tqs_bom_1machine_applique.pdf
Elmer's Glue Bottle Retrofit http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/images/lessons/7/1097/1097_2011_tqs_bom_2_elmers_washable_glue_bottle_retrofit.pdf

I will be hand sewing the block down using a similar technique to Sharon Schamer http://sharonschambernetwork.com/Classes/AllPremiumClasses/Play/TabId/95/SeriesId/105/Free-Area-Needle-Turned-Applique-Blue-Bird.aspx

As I cut away I'll save the scraps for later blocks. See my post here for practice experience:
[url]forum/ruffled-roses-2011/4181#p52726-block-1-vine-center[/url]

For the leaves, flowers, and heart, I used a templar and starch to prepare the pieces. I also prepared the flowers as units sewing on the 3 pieces that are on top of the main flower shape as Margo and Erin recommend. I used advice from Erin Russek's video and PDF tutorials on her blog
http://erinrussek.typepad.com/one-piece-at-a-time/
I am not having any difficulty sewing through my starched fabric (I use 1/2 solution of Faultless Liquid starch/water or Mary Ellen's Best Press undiluted) using John James Gold 'n Glide needles and I do not use a thimble.

For the circles, I use Sue Garman's techniques. I used a circle template to cut my circles 3/8" larger than the finished size (picking up on Sue's episode 304 that you can cut 4 at a time! -- what a time saver since I made all my circles twice since I was unhappy with my first efforts/colors.), I basted and used Karen Buckley's mylar circles, and used the applique wash-away paper in the center for a crisper edge than batting in the center. Judy



{!-- ia0 -->applique prep 005.jpg{!-- ia0 -->

JudyFN wrote:
It's in my printer software under properties. I have an HP and it gives me all sorts of printing options.

Thank you all soooo much for all your help, I have been practising and now feel that I can manage to do the appliques to a good standard, it was the ironing
bit that I could not seem to manage too well but that is now pretty good. I have also been trying all of the different finishes, can't seem to make up my
mind I quite like the invisible, along with the blanket stitch, my daughter likes the blanket stitch and my husband likes the invisible and then the blanket,
I like both, who knows what it will be? What are your favourites, if any? I find it most interesting that one has such a choice. Thanks again, Barbara