Turned-Edge Appliqué for the Faint of Heart

Last week I was encouraged to 'splain my technique for turned-edge appliqué.   I know there are others who do something similar to this, but this is the method I have worked out -- it's fairly quick, it's easy, and I enjoy doing it.

And best of all -- I love the results.

First I made a pattern from my drawing.  I reversed it in my computer and printed it full size.  I traced it onto freezer paper with a Sharpie, keeping the various elements together -- face, teeth, spikes, etc.  I keep a key with all the individual pieces numbered in colored pencil or marker; when there are lots of little pieces, it's easy to confuse them.  Hmmmm.... is that a tooth?  ...or a spike?  ...maybe a finger...?

I gathered my tools -- two pairs of scissors, one for fabric and one for paper, the magic pen, and some water-soluble glue.  The glue and pen are available at my LQS.   The paper scissors I stole from my kid.

Then  I start cutting.  I have learned to cut only a few bits at a time -- partly because of the confusion factor, but mostly because I find myself making changes as I build the image in fabric.

I iron the pieces to the wrong side of the fabric -- remember, the freezer paper was traced from a reverse image.

Then I get out the magic pen and "mark" along the edges that I'm going to turn.  I use a hot iron to turn the edges.  The magic pen wets the fabric and makes it easy to get really sharp edges.  I clip the inside curves so they lie flat and I cut out the bulk in the outside curves to make it easier when I quilt.

As I trace the pattern onto the freezer paper, I  look at the individual pieces to see which I want on top and which would look best underneath.  I use dots to mark the underneath seam allowances so I don't accidentally turn them under.

I dip a pin in the glue (it comes with a really nifty cap that squirts tiny dots, but it's not so nifty when it clogs and I have to spend time unclogging it, so I just use the pin) and wipe tiny amounts onto the seam allowance.  Then I literally glue the image together.

I use the cut out portion of the freezer paper as a guide to make sure that the pieces are glued together at the proper angles.

Sometimes I use tracing paper to trace an image that I can reverse to make sure that all my pieces are fitting together the way I originally drew them.

Using the reverse image and ironing the freezer paper to the wrong side allows me to see exactly what parts of the fabric I'm using and I can make changes if I desire.

I use the full size pattern to build the image with glue as I go.  I have learned to be careful to avoid getting glue on the freezer paper, and I remove it as soon as the pieces are in place.

Of course, all this begs the question: why bother?  Some say it makes the quilt more durable -- but this is meant to hang on a wall, so durability isn't really an issue.  Especially since I like to cover the whole thing with thread.   I am an art quilter and I have no qualms about slapping down some fused fabric and calling it a day. And I'm certainly not judgmental about others who fuse -- except when they don't use really sharp scissors to cut their fusibles and there are little tiny threads sticking out everywhere.  But that's another issue.

I am putting this dragon on top of a pieced background and I have found that sometimes fusing on top of piecing leaves lumps and bumps where I don't want lumps and bumps.  Also, I do this because I like the dimension I get with layering fabric.  It seems that the finished piece is more 3D.  I will be quilting this in layers for even more depth.  And it's way quicker than needle-turn appliqué.

I'm linking up again this week with Nina Marie at Off the Wall Fridays.