QUILTsocial | Issue 08

How Unique fabric glue stick
can help your applique work
As we continue our sewing work on
the Autumn Harmony wall quilt. We’ve
created all the elements for the quilt –
four branches, eight leaves and 19 berries.
Now it’s time to put it all together.
This quilt began life as a doodle on a
scrap of paper. I find it easier to draw on
a small scale. I enlarged the doodle on a
photocopier until it was almost to scale
and then I colored with pencil crayons. I
used this drawing to guide my layout.
You can use my layout or use one that is
more pleasing to you.
Start by adding the bias branches. These
can be encouraged to bend because
they’re cut on the bias. Use Unique
fabric glue stick to temporarily position
the branches into a curve. I turned the
raw edges under and use a glue stick to
secure this tiny hem. Pin the branches
into place.
Once they’re in place, pin the leaves and
the berries in place.
Using one strand of thread in a
contrasting color, baste all the elements
to the quilted base. Since the hand
stitching will take several days, and
much movement in and out of a quilting
hoop, thread basting seemed a better
option than spray basting. If you prefer
to machine applique the elements, spray
basting will work just fine.
When stitching the appliques, use a tiny
applique stitch and try to keep an even
tension. This will help avoid puckers in
the finished product. You’ll also notice
that the applique stitches show on the
back of the wall quilt. Don’t fret. No one
will ever see them. It will be on a wall.
The colors are so vibrant, who cares
what’s on the back?
We’ll walk through finishing up our fanciful
fall wall hanging. Continue reading.
Unique fabric glue stick and several well-placed pins will ensure the bias branches
curve properly.
Stitch the appliques to the quilted base using a tiny applique stitch in coordinating
silk thread colors.
Q
76 .com | issue 8
UILTsocial