Tag: applique

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My Best Turned-Edge Appliqué Tips – The Promised Tutorial

A month ago, I was in the “Never! You couldn’t pay me!” camp regarding turned-edge appliqué. Too slow, too fiddly and too unsuccessful. Life is too short! 

Create appliqué

But things have changed……

To be honest, you aren’t going to suddenly see stacks of turned-edge appliqué projects suddenly appearing on this blog. The reality is that turned-edge appliqué is still too slow for my everyday use and doesn’t fit a lot of the designs I like to make.

BUT, and it is a big but, I now know a method of turned-edge appliqué that I do find enjoyable and that I like the look of. I can make decent progress on a project using this method. And I can take the required supplies with me on work trips to use in the evenings. I can definitely see some turned-edge appliqué in my future. Likely, one or two special longer term projects.

Would you like to know how I do it? Here’s my method, step by step.

Continue reading “My Best Turned-Edge Appliqué Tips – The Promised Tutorial”

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Beary Colourful BOM: Thumbs Up Orange Bear

Beary Colourful Orange Bear appliqué by Clever Chameleon

I am positively excited that it is time to meet the Beary Colourful Orange Bear!

Beary Colourful BOM at Clever ChameleonApril 1st. But no fools here…. just us coloured bears! And it is time to welcome another teddy to our growing family…. the Orange Bear of Positive Attitude. Also known as Thumbs Up Bear!

The fourth bear in the Beary Colourful Quilt BOM series is cheerful like his yellow cousin, but it is his enthusiasm that sets him apart. Know anyone who thinks that “Everything is AWESOME, I want to experience it all!!”? Orange bear is just like them. Positively positive!

Hopefully you will give the new bear the two thumbs up!

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Invisible Machine Applique Experiment Part 2

Clever Cat appliqué

Well, it’s literally taken all month, but I finally have a Machine-Stitched, Turned-Edge Appliqué method that I Like!

This month, the goal for each Island Batik Ambassador was to try a technique we hadn’t done before. I really liked this challenge…. my biggest problem was choosing  just one thing, because I have a huge (and still growing) list of things I think I’d like to have a go at. And this month hasn’t actually helped that much….. reading through all the other ambassador projects this month has really only added to my quilting bucket list! I’m going to have to live forever! hahaha!

Island Batik March Challenge

Anyway, I have been a good girl for once and focussed down on one technique long enough to make it useful! Are you proud of me or what!?! No squirrels in my sewing room this month! 

For my new-to-me technique I chose one often called “invisible machine appliqué”. What it actually is, is turned-edge appliqué that is sewn down by machine rather than by hand. But in a manner that doesn’t yell “Machine stitched!!”. This was my first attempt earlier in the month…..

machine appliqué

I wasn’t happy with the look of this. So I played with it some more.

Want to see where I ended up?

Continue reading “Invisible Machine Applique Experiment Part 2”

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The March Yellow Challenge Linkup is Live

Yellow Bear of Being Active Outside appliqué

Are you participating in the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge? Time to show off your Yellow Creations!

The giveaway for March at Patterns by Jen is open, and it’s time to show us what you’ve made in yellow. If you linkup a yellow block, quilt or other fabric project before the end of March, you will have a chance to win one of three 6-month subscriptions to Make Modern magazine. Winners will be posted on April 2nd (due to the first being Easter Sunday).

Still thinking about making your yellow bear? Last minute is good…. I do last minute all the time! Here’s some inspiration for you from yellow bears shared with me on facebook this month. Enjoy!

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How to make a sewing machine dust cover

Sweet Sixteen dust cover

Island Batik’s “Try a New Technique” month has given me the push I needed to finally make my machine a dust cover!

As an Island Batik Ambassador, my challenge for March was to choose some of the beautiful fabrics they sent to me in February and create something using a technique I hadn’t tried before. So, I decided to give “invisible machine appliqué” a whirl. But in order to try out such an appliqué technique, I needed something to appliqué onto. So I made a dust cover for my Sweet Sixteen sit-down longarm machine. You can read more about that decision process here.

Island Batik Try a Technique Month

Have you got the same or a similar machine you’d like to make a dust cover for? Or another, oddly shaped machine that needs a cover? Here’s a run down on how I made mine. Hopefully it will give you a few ideas.

Continue reading “How to make a sewing machine dust cover”

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