AFTERNOON DELIGHT--Month1, Part 2

Let's work on the first four applique blocks for Afternoon Delight.

NOTE: This post is lengthy--future posts will not show this amount of detail.

The sample quilt features these:

Block 2

Block 3

Block 1

Block 4

Sue Garman has provided four pages of instruction on applique techniques--read ALL the instructions before beginning. These instructions only appear in Month 1.

I found the color pages of all the applique blocks that appear in Month 1 to be very helpful--I recommend you print those in color to use as a guide for selecting fabrics for your blocks. 

KIT INFO: Remember, you can put any fabric you like in any of these blocks. It is absolutely not necessary that you copy the sample quilt blocks. Seven of the Sunday Sew and Sews helped me cut these fabrics and assemble the blocks--I would have selected different fabrics in some blocks if doing it myself. It's your quilt, you get to choose.

There are a variety of ways to make applique blocks, hand or machine. Use whichever method you like. For the sample quilt, we used the raw edge method, simply because we needed the fastest method possible. I prefer turned edge applique so I think will use that method for my 2020 Red, White and Blue sample. This first month I will do one of each to decide for sure.

Advantages of both Raw Edge and Turned Edge Applique:

1. Raw edge is fastest to prepare

2. Turned edge gives a finer, finished look, in my opinion

3. Raw edge needs careful, close stitching to protect those edges

4. Turned edge takes more time to prepare but may sew faster

Print the patterns. Measure the box around the pattern—it should be 6.75”, the FINISHED size of the block. I used Quilter's Select Print and Piece Fuse Lite. Be sure you print on the matte side--NOT the fused side. This product makes it easy to print the pattern, serves as a stabilizer when machine stitching, and washes out when the block is done, so the shapes are not stiff when finished.

Blocks 1 and 3 printed

How you cut cut the pattern will depend on whether you are doing raw edge or turned edge.

FOR RAW EDGE:  rough cut the shape out, most are one or a few pieces. Fuse the paper pattern to the Wrong side of the fabric--follow package instructions for how to fuse. Use sharp scissors to carefully cut on the black line.

FOR TURNED EDGE: use sharp scissors to carefully cut out the pattern on the black line--BEFORE fusing the paper pattern to the wrong side of the fabric. This is the slow part, careful cutting will make the best results.

TIP: I had an ah-ha moment--this shape is symmetrical. What if I fold the paper pattern in quarters, staple to secure, and cut out the entire pattern in quarters, saving lots of time? Just DO NOT PRESS, or it will be fused to itself:

The lines might not be perfect, but the shape is exactly the same or very close. Just be sure you like it before opening it, re-folding it in quarters again is not easy:

Once the paper pattern is completely cut out, carefully fuse it to the Wrong side of the applique fabric, following package directions:

Carefully trim the applique fabric about 1/4" away from the paper pattern, creating the seam allowance to turn under. I am a fan of Karen K Buckley scissors--she has a new pair of Craft scissors, the pink handles, for cutting paper and fusible products. I used those to cut the pattern. The blue handles are the medium size fabric scissors, with serrated edges, I used those to cut the fabric:

All cut and ready for glue-basting the seam allowance under:

FOR TURNED EDGE:  once cut out, baste the raw edges of fabric to the back of the printed pattern, using glue or thread as you prefer. Some people like the glue stick, some prefer liquid glue. 

This takes time, work slowly. However the turned edges look now, is how they will look after the applique process. I like the Apliquick tools for this job, they help for turning those narrow seam allowances to the back:

The back after gluing seam allowances in place

The front, ready to be glued to the background

FOR RAW EDGE:  once cut out, secure the fabric to the 8" background square already cut--using pins or glue as you prefer. Fold the 8" into quarters, and on both diagonals, press, to give you a general idea where to place the fabric shape--you will trim the finished block to 7.25"(unfinished) once the applique is completely done AND you have soaked the block in warm water to remove the paper. 

Here is a different block (Block 11 from Month 3) ready to be glued to the background, I like Quilter's Select Fabric Glue Pen:

Fold the 8" background into quarters and on both diagonals, press, to give you a guide for where to place the fabric shape--you will trim the finished block to 7.25"(unfinished) once the applique is completely done AND you have soaked the block in warm water to remove the paper:

For both methods, secure the applique shape to the background--in the instructions Sue shows just how tiny a dot of liquid glue she  used to do this.

Now it's time to stitch. For the Raw Edge, I am using a Double Blanket stitch (#1330 on my Bernina 765) to protect the raw edges. For the Turned Edge, I am using a Single Blanket Stitch (#1329). I used width 2.5, length 2.0. Test your fabrics/thread for the look you prefer  In both cases, I chose thread that closely matched the fabric. 

The Double Blanket stitch takes much longer to stitch but provides a good edge finish. The Single Blanket stitch is fine on the Turned edge applique. 

Once the block is done, soak it in warm water for about 15 minutes to remove the glue and the paper pattern. Allow to dry completely before you trim it.

The background started at 8". Now we have to trim the block down to 7.25" unfinished. I came up with this nifty, simple way to be sure I was trimming the block while keeping the applique motif in the center of the square--make your own "RULER":

I cut a square of template plastic exactly 7.25" and used a black Sharpie to draw registration marks up and down and on the diagonals. 

Use this to be sure your shape is centered. This is not an edge you can cut against with your rotary cutter without shaving a bit off so simply make marks at the four corners to know where to place your real square ruler--I used a Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Marker in brown so you can clearly see the marks:

Align applique with registration lines

Use washable marker or pencil to mark the corners

Replace the plastic template with a rotary cutting ruler

Perfectly trimmed 7.25" unfinished block, with applique centered

If you would like to see another blog I wrote about Turned Edge Machine Applique, check out this Tutorial.

Like anything else, there is a learning curve to machine applique. The good news you will get lots of practice with 40 blocks. Each one will get better and the process will be easier. Next month we will  make four more applique blocks and two Shoo Fly blocks.

Let's quilt.

Barbara