Focus on Applique: Simple or Complex
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Focus on Applique: Simple or Complex Debra 09-30-2006
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Posted by Debra on September 30, 2006, 12:06 pm
I'm borrowing Pat's Focus on Design idea for a series of applique
oriented discussions. I don't know how many I might come up with but
here is the second one.

To many people a simple applique design means few pieces, larger
pieces, or that the pieces are easy to hem. Well, applique can look
complex even if the pieces are easy to hem by using a lot of them, and
it can look simple but be complex if you have one big piece that has a
lot of complicated nooks and crannies. Baltimore Album style blocks
look a lot more complicated than a Hawaiian quilt to someone who
doesn't do applique, but applique-ers know that complexity is
determined by the tightness of curves, number of inner points, the
particular applique technique being used, and the phase of the moon,
not to mention if the fabric or thread is behaving itself or not, so
we judge things a little differently.

My big discussion questions are:
How complex do you like to get with your applique and why?

Did you ever start a design that looked simple but turned out to be
hard to do?

Have you found a pattern you loved but the pieces were too hard to
make so you changed the existing pattern to make it easier to
accomplish?
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Posted by Kate Dicey on September 30, 2006, 12:58 pm
Debra wrote:

> I'm borrowing Pat's Focus on Design idea for a series of applique
> oriented discussions. I don't know how many I might come up with but
> here is the second one.
>
> To many people a simple applique design means few pieces, larger
> pieces, or that the pieces are easy to hem. Well, applique can look
> complex even if the pieces are easy to hem by using a lot of them, and
> it can look simple but be complex if you have one big piece that has a
> lot of complicated nooks and crannies. Baltimore Album style blocks
> look a lot more complicated than a Hawaiian quilt to someone who
> doesn't do applique, but applique-ers know that complexity is
> determined by the tightness of curves, number of inner points, the
> particular applique technique being used, and the phase of the moon,
> not to mention if the fabric or thread is behaving itself or not, so
> we judge things a little differently.
>
> My big discussion questions are:
> How complex do you like to get with your applique and why?
>
> Did you ever start a design that looked simple but turned out to be
> hard to do?
>
> Have you found a pattern you loved but the pieces were too hard to
> make so you changed the existing pattern to make it easier to
> accomplish?
> Debra in VA
> See my quilts at
> http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere


I have only ever done VERY simple appliqué - simple shapes like a leaf
or a heart on a block in 6" or 4" charm size... This can be very
effective. I've done it with all sorts of fabrics on all sorts of
backgrounds!

The biggest and most complex thing was the school banner, with the
school name and the animals motifs for the classes in red satin on a
poly-cotton drill background! I suppose that would count as complex for
some, with the letter shapes, and all the animals, and the awkward
fabrics, but I didn't feel like it at the time, and the kids helped with
a lot of it. :)

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Posted by Valerie in FL on October 1, 2006, 5:14 am
I have the pattern of one of Pat Campbell's Jacobean masterpieces in a
drawer, but so far I'm afraid to attempt it.

--
Valerie in FL
My quilts: http://community.webshots.com/user/vjkahler


> Debra wrote:
>
>> I'm borrowing Pat's Focus on Design idea for a series of applique
>> oriented discussions. I don't know how many I might come up with but
>> here is the second one. To many people a simple applique design means
>> few pieces, larger
>> pieces, or that the pieces are easy to hem. Well, applique can look
>> complex even if the pieces are easy to hem by using a lot of them, and
>> it can look simple but be complex if you have one big piece that has a
>> lot of complicated nooks and crannies. Baltimore Album style blocks
>> look a lot more complicated than a Hawaiian quilt to someone who
>> doesn't do applique, but applique-ers know that complexity is
>> determined by the tightness of curves, number of inner points, the
>> particular applique technique being used, and the phase of the moon,
>> not to mention if the fabric or thread is behaving itself or not, so
>> we judge things a little differently. My big discussion questions are:
>> How complex do you like to get with your applique and why? Did you ever
>> start a design that looked simple but turned out to be
>> hard to do?
>>
>> Have you found a pattern you loved but the pieces were too hard to
>> make so you changed the existing pattern to make it easier to
>> accomplish?
>> Debra in VA
>> See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere
>
>
> I have only ever done VERY simple appliqué - simple shapes like a leaf or
> a heart on a block in 6" or 4" charm size... This can be very effective.
> I've done it with all sorts of fabrics on all sorts of backgrounds!
>
> The biggest and most complex thing was the school banner, with the school
> name and the animals motifs for the classes in red satin on a poly-cotton
> drill background! I suppose that would count as complex for some, with
> the letter shapes, and all the animals, and the awkward fabrics, but I
> didn't feel like it at the time, and the kids helped with a lot of it. :)
>
> --
> Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
> Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
> http://www.katedicey.co.uk
> Click on Kate's Pages and explore!



Posted by Sunny on September 30, 2006, 3:11 pm
I have begun making my own applique designs. I tend to be overly
optimistic about how difficult the design will be -- before I start
trying to attach it. I do like to use fusing as a method of attaching
applique, although I do hand applique as well. If the corners are tight
and the curlicues are really curly then I will cut and fuse rather
than try to attach by hand. And yes, I have altered a design that
turned out to be too difficult.

Sunny


Debra wrote:
> I'm borrowing Pat's Focus on Design idea for a series of applique
> oriented discussions. I don't know how many I might come up with but
> here is the second one.
>
> To many people a simple applique design means few pieces, larger
> pieces, or that the pieces are easy to hem. Well, applique can look
> complex even if the pieces are easy to hem by using a lot of them, and
> it can look simple but be complex if you have one big piece that has a
> lot of complicated nooks and crannies. Baltimore Album style blocks
> look a lot more complicated than a Hawaiian quilt to someone who
> doesn't do applique, but applique-ers know that complexity is
> determined by the tightness of curves, number of inner points, the
> particular applique technique being used, and the phase of the moon,
> not to mention if the fabric or thread is behaving itself or not, so
> we judge things a little differently.
>
> My big discussion questions are:
> How complex do you like to get with your applique and why?
>
> Did you ever start a design that looked simple but turned out to be
> hard to do?
>
> Have you found a pattern you loved but the pieces were too hard to
> make so you changed the existing pattern to make it easier to
> accomplish?
> Debra in VA
> See my quilts at
> http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere


Posted by Debra on October 1, 2006, 12:05 pm

>I have begun making my own applique designs. I tend to be overly
>optimistic about how difficult the design will be -- before I start
>trying to attach it. I do like to use fusing as a method of attaching
>applique, although I do hand applique as well. If the corners are tight
>and the curlicues are really curly then I will cut and fuse rather
>than try to attach by hand. And yes, I have altered a design that
>turned out to be too difficult.
>
>Sunny

I have made my own designs, but more often I alter existing designs to
suit my whims.

I've done some fusing, but didn't like the stiffness of the results.
I've used the slit and turn method of preparing pieces, and hand
hemming them. Both of those work out all right although you can't get
really pointy points with the slit and turn method because the seam is
inside the backed and turned piece.

I've been experimenting with water soluble fabric glue sticks. I can
use it to hem pieces by just putting it along the edges and folding
the raw edge of the fabric to the back, but it is a sticky process.
The glue sticks work far better than pins for placing the pieces onto
the background before sewing. I can get everything laid out
perfectly, with no puckers due to pins, and absolutely nothing shifts
when I'm sewing.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

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