Websterquilt: September 2024

Monday, September 16, 2024

Island Batik Ambassador's Adventurous Applique Blog Hop with Aurifil

This month the Island Batik Ambassadors were challenged to create applique quilts using the edge coloring technique and 40 weight Aurifil thread. I have always loved the Fantasy Flowers Accuquilt die by Robbi Joy Ecklo. It's a larger flower at almost 14 inches across which means it's excellent to show off fabrics!

Applique has always been one of my favorite things to do and it was fun to learn a new technique.

For this project I received the Floral Fun collections. It's a gorgeous array of blue, green, and purple. It's designed by Kathy Engle for Terri Vanden Bosch of Lizard Creek Quliting.

I decided to make each flower in a different set of colors. Here's one such arrangement. I love this deep dark purple. So pretty.

Here is another set of fabrics for a flower.

In order to do the edge stitching method you glue down the pieces and don't use any fusible. I was having trouble with squeezing the glue bottle (it was hurting my hand). So I went online to see what other kind if bottles I might use. I found these tiny ones at Michaels and they worked perfectly and it was so much easier!

In order to get the hexagonal symmetry of this block right I ironed my background fabric so I knew where to put down the initial green leaves.

Then I added the petals.

I picked out threads to use for this project and was glad to be using 40 weight. It provided a thicker line than my usual 50 weight Aurifil. I found switching to a slightly larger needle also helped keep the 40 weight thread happy in my machine. I used a size 90 Microtex Needle by Schmetz Needles.

I used an open toe applique foot to stitch back and forth along the edge of the petal using my 40 weight Aurifil Thread. I also found it helpful to use the same weight and color thread in the top and bobbin while doing the edge stitching.

The top is complete! Time to get layering with my favorite Hobbs Batting 80/20 Cotton/Poly batting. I decided to offset the flower blocks with some piecing. This my version of a delectable mountains block.