The zig and the zag

Perfecting your machine applique technique when it comes to outer curves,inner curves and the dreaded sharp point can be easily done with a few tried and true tips!
It's a good idea to have a few sample or pratice pieces on hand before actually doing it on your beautiful project.
Zig is the stitch made with the needle down in your background fabric
Zag is the stitch made with the needle down in your applique

You want to always start with the needle down into your background right next to as close as you can to the edge of the applique and you want to pull your bobbin thread to the top of your work and hold those threads in your left hand and begin to stitch, Now it only makes sense that when you think about it when you zig zag your needle moves side to side or right to left, so you have to make little adjustments with your project by pivoting your work especially for curves and points. Just before you reach the point say on a leaf applique you want to stop with the needle down in your applique(zag) just one stitch away from the point. Now make your adjustment by turning your work so that when you begin to stitch again your zig is going to land right on the point of your leaf.

Now you make your adjustments again to continue , just remember a little at a time!

Resource:Simply Successful Applique by Jeanne Sullivan, comes with a CD full of step by step instructions and wonderful step by step photos, for every kind of applique hand and machine.

Successful Applique

Stress free summer sewing

Summer is here and I know many of us like projects that are portable and travel with us, whether we are vacationing or sitting outiside in the sun.  One most of us do all the time anyway is english paper piecing soI thought of posting a tutorial on english paper piecing here but There are many good blogs out there with fantastic tutorials,that I could not even begin to compose anything as comprehensive and accurate as many of them.  My favorite for English paper piecing is Pam Buda's tutorial, awesome photos and step by step guide will have you mastering EEP in no time at all. There are four parts so scroll up to start with part one.
Another low volume and stress free way to stitch in the summer is using template Stamps.  These are rubber stamps that you stamp your fabric with and you have a stitch line!  My grandson loves to stamp the fabric for me so it's a way for kids to be involved too!

 One of my favorites is the spool template stamps.

The spool blocks are 2 3/4 inches so it's a great way to use up scraps this summer!

Always Quilting, 

Teresa