Showing posts with label applique. Show all posts
Showing posts with label applique. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2011

Fussy cut applique

How to do a fussy cut applique
(onto a knit fabric)
Cut out your piece, and apply some fusible webbing (like wonder under). I left a tiny bit of white around. You can do this, or just cut it out completely. Iron onto your fabric. I was aiming for a logo type look (like Le Tigre)

Tip #1-When appliqueing onto a knit fabric, put interfacing on the back of it! I forgot this all important step, and ended up with a satin stitch mess that took forever to rip out. You could also use tear away stabilizer, or a piece of tracing/tissue paper underneath. I ended up using some lightweight interfacing and tracing paper.


Tip #2-Practice on a scrap piece first so you can figure out where you want your stitches to lay. I got halfway through and realized, hey, this would look so much better here-so again, I had to rip out a bunch of stitches.

It's still not perfect, but this is a pretty small piece to work with. I added the spout detail with the triple stitch on my machine. It didn't work as well as I hoped on the stretchy knit, but you don't notice unless it's close up like this picture!
Monday, June 13, 2011

Easy embellished t-shirt


Have a plain shirt, or a shirt with a stain? Make it fun again by adding some embellishment! I had this robot applique cut out from an old shirt, and with a little wonder-under and a zigzag stitch, we have a fun new shirt!
Saturday, June 11, 2011

Piratey goodness



Zboy's friend turned 3 this week, and we were invited to his birthday party! As you all know, I have an unabashed love of all things piratical. I made a set for Zboy as testers, and as they're mostly the same size, I'm hoping it will fit the birthday boy well!
I made the shorts using the tutorial here (I just adore this blog) and the first pair was way too small. I ended up adding 3" total around to the pattern. I added my favorite cut-out applique, and piratey goodness ensued.

The fabric is an odd shade, so I decided to make matching initial appliqued shirts as well. Done on my new machine with the applique/blanket stitch-so super fast and easy!



Friday, February 25, 2011

Month 3 applique for monster quilt


I have finished the month 1 monster (except for the small bits-I'm waiting for my mom to come and help me with those) and just finished the month 3 monster. I don't have a fancy machine (in fact, it's one of the cheapest, most basic ones. I'll have a great one someday!) and so I don't have the blanket or applique stitch. After asking around a few places, it was down to using the blind hem stitch or a simple zigzag. I did a lot of experimenting, and chose the blind hem as it's most similar to the blanket stitch (instead of a zig or "arrow" going in, it's a straight, closed stitch) My settings are just over 1 for stitch length and a little over 3 on the size of zigzag.

The biggest tip is to go slowly, and turn it by hand around the tight spots. I'm not perfect, but I am slowly improving on each piece I applique. Here's a close up of the heart so you can see what my stitch looks like.



As I work on each monster, I keep a ziploc bag handy, and keep all the little bits, fabric, pattern, etc. inside so I don't lose anything or get it confused. Simple idea, I'm sure, but one I'm happy to have thought of, as I tend to lose things and am very disorganized.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Super Zs!

Families, Create! A Monthly Make and Play Carnival



It's that time again! The theme this month is heroes and heroines. My idea may be a bit cliche when it comes to it, but I think they're still cute!

I made my own pattern for an applique, putting a Z in the middle of the Superman shape. It took a while to get the size down, and a straight ruler and pencil are an absolute must.

I then traced the pattern (backward) onto Wonder Under and attached to the fabrics I was using. I originally planned to make the applique three pieces-the background, the shape outline, and the letter. However, I don't have a lot of solid fabrics or pieces that go together, so I decided to just cut out the open spaces of the applique. Here's one to show what it looked like.



I then ironed on the appliques.


I sewed them using the blind stitch on my machine-I don't have a fancy machine with an applique stitch, sadly. This was a bit tricky and required some practice. It's not easy to rip stitches out of an applique-it frays the fabric and messes up the wonder under, so practice on a scrap first!



I'm going to try to get pictures of Zboy and Zgirl in their super-shirts soon.

February brought many heroic crafts to the Families, Create! Carnival. Check out some of the wonderful posts from last month's participants below, and be sure to visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out how you can participate in the next Families, Create! Carnival.



Visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out how you can participate in the next Families, Create! Carnival. Our March theme is "Animals" - what animals are your favorites and why? Get creative and share with us how animals are a part of your and your children's lives.
 

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