While sewing the flowers on the border of the Feathered Star Quilt, I thought it would be great to share my method
Here are the steps I used to complete the flower and stitch it in place.
For each flower shape, use freezer paper templates and iron the edges over the freezer paper. You can find more detailed instructions about this in my e-book Applique! Creating and Stitching here
There are two types of flowers in the border, I will start the Tutorials with the Pink and Red Daisy flowers. The first layer are the pink petals. I traced the pattern of the flower onto tracing paper. You can use anything that you can see through. Placing the tracing paper pattern over the background fabric, I placed the first layer of pink petals. Then stitched them in place with an invisible zig zag stitch, using monofilament thread. This is also covered in more detail in my e-book, Applique! Creating and Stitching.
Then I pulled the freezer paper template out from inside the petals. I find tweezers are great for pulling them out. Then I placed the traced pattern on top again and used it as a guide to add the second layer underneath, which is the red petals.
Stitching them in place in the same manner, and taking out the freezer paper templates as before.
Then the third layer, which is the brown fabric inner part of the flower. Use the traced pattern and stitch in place. You can either sew most of the way around the flower then remove the freezer paper template, then finish stitching the rest of the flower down. Or stitch the complete flower and trim a little of the background fabric away to release the freezer paper template.
Then the fourth layer is the yellow fabric circle, place and stitch in the same manner to complete the flower.
I am making great progress on the borders of my Feathered Star Quilt, and hope to have them completed soon. You can read about the Feathered Star quilt and the applique borders here.
Here is my finished Feathered Garden Quilt, this photo was taken by Quilt Mania and you can find it in Quilt Mania magazine March 2021. The pattern for this quilt will be available mid August 2022. To keep in touch with more information sign up to my newsletter using the sign up form on my website home page www.sharonkeightleyquilts.com.
I hope you have enjoyed my little Tutorial
Happy Stitching
Sharon
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I’m sorry, I didn’t see anywhere to ask this, but you mentioned you used wash away stabilizer. Could you tell a brand that washes out well? Really don’t like stiff Applique. It’s the technique I love most. TIA Sharon
Glad to hear from you and your work.
I too love the nine patches.
Keep up the wonderful stitches.
Ruth
How to press a Flying Geese Border ? This is the question I was asked so I have done my best to answer as it is not exactly what you might be expecting to see. Read more to see how I pressed the seams to get nice flat intersections.
Making four Flying Geese units at a time is a great time saver, and a wonderful method. I love to oversize the units and trim them down to the correct size for perfect blocks. Read how I go about making these versatile units that I use in almost every quilt I make.
Sharon Keightley
July 26, 2019
Hi Sharon
Thank you for your comment, to answer your question, there are a few brands of washaway paper that I use. C & T washaway applique sheets, Floriani have one too and its a bit softer, Hugs and Kisses is another soft brand. To be honest with you I like the paper to be reasonably firm to sew against and find the softer papers fold too easily during the gluing and turning process. Although you should try for yourself to see what you prefer. There are probable more brands that I have not yet tried, as living in New Zealand we are limited to the range of products available.
The other thing I do if the applique shape is large, I cut the center out of the paper and just use the outside edge of the paper so I have something to turn the edges against. This is something I learned when doing raw edge applique with steam a seam as then it makes the applique much softer.
I hope this helps.