Thanks ladies, I will give that a try.

I think if you shrink the bottom one a bit and try what Margo suggest, it will be fine.

I luv the idea that you are changing up the design, but think that these two motifs are a little too delicate (?) for the chunky look of the sashing and the arc units. Maybe you could use the bottom design, but replace the light color in the centers of the tulip shapes with other reds? A variety might look better than all one color.

I have been trying to come up with an alternative design to the appliqued flower pots for two reasons. 1) I am doing all red and white and this is more difficult to do in just those two colours and 2) because I wanted something that would fill the space more. So I have these two ideas that I am quite pleased with but not sure if they will work. My concern is that they might be too big for the space and/or making a spiky design seem even more spiky. Any opinions?

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Superior's site says that Soft and Stable has a foam core with fabric on either side.

I've asked for a sample of RipStitch TW 2.0 Tear/Wash Away - 2 oz. Stabilizer from Allstitch.com They also carry a 1.5 oz in the same line. I remember a pro quilter somewhere saying that all the stabilizers are made by one company and marketed under different names. We'll see. Allstitch has great prices for buying in quantity, but Ricky's is cut the the right size for the printers.

quiltbuilder wrote:
Thanks for the kudos quiltbuilder! Glad you liked the video! And I love your tip about using silk thread. I am "of a certain age" and can't see the MonoPoly sheen so it's not an issue with me!

I haven't tried Superior's foundation. If you try it, please let us know how you think it compares to Stable Stuff and Sharon's foundation.

I also would like to thank Margo for her wonderful video lesson. I have been using this method for awhile (3 quilts) and love it. I am/was a hand quilter and love this method because it looks so much like hand quilting. I have one thing to add. I have tried using my silk thread instead of the mono poly. I do not have the matte finish mono poly so I did not like the shine on the mono poly. This is probably better with the new matte finish. Because I hand quilt with silk thread (100 wt) I have a lot of colors and can match to my applique pieces. It works really well and to my surprise, the silk runs very well in the machine.

I presently am using Ricky Tims Stable Stuff but sometimes it is hard to get. I am glad to know that Sharon Schamber's is the same. Question: I noticed the on the Superior website, on the By Annie section, she is also selling something which may be very close or the same. Does anyone know about this? Always good to have options of where to buy!

Again, thanks to Margo.

Thanks Margo. I have some of Ricky's in FL, but only have Sharon's in KY. When I need more I will know what source to use!

I have used them both, and consider them interchangeable. Sharon's is $22.50 USD for 5 yards. Ricky's is $9.98 USD for 3 yards.

Margo, is there much difference between Ricky's Stable Stuff and the interfacing Sharon Schamber uses? They are both used for their applique. I have Sharon's on hand, but not Ricky's.

thanks margo

Connie made me grin. That's a serious addition to a thread stash! I ordered 40 wt Aurifil from RedRocks today on a wing and a prayer based on the Internet thread chart. Can't wait to see them, although I didn't do as much damage to my credit card as Connie did

I went back to Sue Nickel's way of raw edge instead of the Charlotte's Fusible Thread. IMHO, it's just a cleaner edge, easier on my hands, and faster.

Thanks Connie!!

See above post. I will admit that I am OCD about my color choices, and it is possible that someone more sane could use some of these thread colors as a match for more than one fabric. At least it will give you a jumping-off point. Also, my color choice was somewhat arbitrary when it came to the fabrics with both light and dark elements in them. Hope this helps! :shock: