Glue stick applique, the tutorial: PART TWO...

Welcome to part two of the glue stick applique tutorial.  In part one, I attempted to demonstrate how I use a simple glue stick to facilitate my hand applique process.  Now I will try to show how I assemble the pieces and secure them to the background in preparation to stitching.

You can better see the additional (cross-hatch pencil marks) in the above picture on the pattern edges and ends that will be under some other piece.  This way I know how much of a fabric allowance to add when cutting out my pattern pieces before the glue process.  I am usually too generous because it is easy to just snip and trim away the excess.

With complicated applique, I like to build units.  This usually means I don't just sit down with all my pieces for a block, glue them into a picture and just stitch away.  If a flower, for example, has many pieces, I glue baste, then sew things together in units first, from the top layer down. 

I do this for 2 reasons: 1)  I find it is easier to stitch through just a piece and a background - sometimes that background is simply another piece, 2)  because I tend to hand quilt, I often trim away the background behind large applique pieces so that I can hand quilt without stitching through many layers.  By breaking things down into basic units, I sort of trim away bulk as I sew units together.  This can be very handy when working with light colored fabrics...I can trim excess darker fabrics that might show through.

For simplicity, I just glued most of this block at one time, but I will at least talk about what I consider a "unit" as I go along.

I work on the original pattern as I layer my units.  Here I am starting with the outer flower and the center.  If you find it easier, when you are lining up the layered pieces, you can leave your paper patterns on for a while longer.  Sometimes I peel them all off, sometimes I leave them on.  When working on pieces with many similar shaped pieces, like leaves, it really helps to keep the numbered pattern papers adhered until place.  It is easy enough to remove the papers after gluing, before stitching.

Do you see those TINY dots above in the blue fabric allowance?  That is my Roxanne's glue baste..."dot-dot-not-a-lot," as my friend Ola would say.  Roxanne's has a terrific "hold" once used, so it takes very little to hold things in place.  It dries pretty fast.  By using tiny dots, I can glue right over my original pattern without the glue bleeding through, sticking to the paper, and ruining my pattern.

VERY IMPORTANT:  Pay close attention to where I place these tiny dots...NOT at the edge where the glue might hinder my stitching needle later and NOT out in the center of the design, in case I want to trim the background away later.

When I glue the flower center #14 to the flower #13, my top piece only touches the bottom piece's paper.  See the arrow on piece #14?  That is useful when tracing patterns on pieces that are a little confusing..."up" is always the top of the block for me.

Below I show how I pick up and manipulate pieces with the long tweezers (actually my beading tweezers).  I have difficulty picking up and handling the tiny pieces and the tweezers really save me.  LOL

Once my glue baste dries a little, I also use the tweezers to help remove the ironed on freezer paper pattern (I always secure the glued edge under my thumbnail just in case the glue baste is still a little wet).

 

Sometimes I remove all the papers and simply use my pattern sheet for placement.

I have to remove the paper pattern on the bottom piece when I am gluing on a layer.  See my tiny dots??  I added this flower center, as the original pattern didn't fool with one.  This method makes it easy to add, change and delete things...I never found that freedom with the needle turn method, once I had  basted my shapes to the background, I was pretty much stuck...I don't like being stuck...     :o)

Here you can see how I have trimmed the fabric a bit where other pieces will be glued.  That way the excess will be completely covered up by the upper piece.

See how stem piece #16 covers the bottom of the bud piece #18.  The raw edges of stem piece #16 will be covered up by a flower on the left side and the vase on the right side.

 

Here I've glued on the cheddar flower and layered petal and a couple of leaves.

 Here the whole flower sprig is glued together.

Now you are looking at my pattern placed on my light box, layered with my background piece (which is at least a half an inch larger than needed on all sides).  Do you see the the tiny little glue dots on my background?  Since I took the picture with my light box "on," it's hard to tell, but I have gently peeled up that assembled flower sprig.  I will carefully arrange the sprig on the glue-dotted background using the pattern as my placement guide, then I will gently pull up the flower and "dot-dot-not-a-lot" under it too and press the flower down to adhere.

 

Then I move on to the next unit.

 

And then the next one.

The vase is the last piece glued down after all the sprigs have been arranged.  Each pattern has to be assessed to figure out the layering order.  Now I just allow it to dry completely before I stitch.  Usually by this point, I have already stitched the more complicated units together, so all I have to do is stitch around the the outside of the more layered, complicated units, and the other, single elements.

This method works on both on simple and complex patterns. I used it for my "Civil War Bride" (Corliss Searcey) and my "All Around the Town" (Sue Garmon) quilts.  It's just a matter of breaking things down into simple, manageable units.

This is a totally portable project at many points.  It is easy to take a baggie or "magic box" project with me that contains pressed on, cut out freezer paper patterns, a stiletto, snips, glue stick and a small acrylic ruler.  It takes no room at a sit and stitch gathering to sit there and glue pieces while talking with friends or sit with a tray in my lap and watch TV with my family.  I've done it at school and church meetings, too.  This is how I work on my appliqued basket project...stolen moments.

Here, in my "magic box," I have switched out the glue tools for applique tools, as I am ready to stitch some down...

I love portable projects that allow me to enjoy people AND sew (gets me out of the quilt cave...).  Too many hours alone in the quilt cave are probably not good for the quilting cave woman.

Now I can find some friends, family, yack on the phone, or just sit outside in the gazebo and do a little stitching on this so I can get ready to show you PART THREE of the tutorial...how to deal with the glue after the stitching is done...(and what to do about weird cases, weird shapes, and exceptions and short-comings to this method, etc...).

I will post part three on Thursday or Friday, after I get my daughter off to Washington DC with her 8th grade companions.  Check out part one, if you missed it.

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)

Glue stick applique, the tutorial: PART ONE...

FINALLY...the promised tutorial about how I do my applique projects.  My quilting friend MaryLiz (no blog) turned me onto Elmer's glue sticks for applique and now I am quite addicted!  I take it a little further by using a glue baste to secure things as I stitch (instead of pins), but I will talk about that in my next post.  This one is long enough already.

I am no expert at this, and I feel like I am still learning every time I do any quilty technique.  I have had much joy and success with this method and I hope you find it helpful.

I chose a block from one of Lori Smith's wonderful patterns, "Anna's Garden."  This block will 7 inches square when finished.  I chose a small, but rather simple block pattern to show how well this method works with little pieces.

Here are some of my favorite tools.  Freezer paper, pencil and paper scissors are used to trace and cut out the pattern.  Elmer's 'disappearing purple' school glue sticks, a stiletto, fabric scissors, re-purposed acrylic rulers, and tweezers are used to prep pieces. 

Freezer paper, for those not familiar with it's non-butcher purpose, is great for patterns.  You can write on the dull side and the shiny side will stick to fabric when applied with a hot iron.

I use the acrylic rulers and odd acrylic pieces to work on because they are washable. (And now some of those obscure rulers that seemed like a good idea at the time are finally being useful!)  It doesn't hurt the rulers and they wash up very easily in warm water.

I like to use tweezers to pick little things up...my fingernails are short (for piano) and I have difficulty picking up tiny little pieces of paper or fabric. The tweezers are a God send!

Some people like to use toothpicks or bamboo skewers instead of a stiletto.  I like the weight of the stiletto and it washes easily to remove glue build-up at the tip.

First, using a pencil, I number every piece of the pattern I am tracing FROM.  I pay close attention to which pieces are layered so I can label the portions of the patterns that will go under something else.  This is very important.  I put little cross-hatch marks on the edges that will tuck under something else.  If I don't label my pattern to remind me, when cutting out pieces I'll cut the allowance too narrow.  (I think if you click on the picture below you can see some of these marks.  They will certainly be pictured more prominently in later pictures.)

Next, I carefully cut out my traced and numbered pattern pieces right on the traced line, not adding any turn under allowance to the paper pattern.

Next, I iron my pattern pieces to the RIGHT SIDE of the fabric, leaving at least a quarter inch space between pieces or at edge.  I press well because I want the paper to stay on until I am through with it!  (It can be re-ironed on, but that is a pain!) 

I am using some small repro scraps for this project...I don't throw much away!

Next, I cut out my pieces, allowing a "generous 1/8 inch" on regular edges and a "scant 1/4 inch" on the cross-hatched edges that are tucked under something else.  When in doubt, it is better to be generous on these turn under allowances...you can always trim them smaller when you start gluing, if you need to.

I'm using a plain piece of acrylic for these pictures because I thought the writing on my old rulers might be distracting to the tutorial...excuse the glare when it creeps into a picture!  It is helpful to have the clear plastic surface on a dark color so you can see the white paper pattern later.

The dark fabric I used for this vase makes my next step hard to see in a picture, so I am showing you the back of the fabric.  On inside curves, I clip ALMOST to the paper pattern...stopping a couple of threads shy of the pattern (if this was a true corner, like the cleft in the top of a heart shape, I would clip right to the paper pattern).  For gradual curves, I don't make many clips, for "curvier" curves, I have to clip more.

I don't clip right to the paper pattern, because doing that makes it harder to get a smooth, unbroken curvy edge on the finished piece.

Now we are ready for glue!  I work right on the edge of the glue stick.

Glue LIGHTLY, right on the very edge of the WRONG side of the fabric.  The disappearing purple will show you where you have glued, but the tell tale purple doesn't hang out for long...it will fade.  At first, just glue an inch or so at a time.  As you build up speed, you can practically glue the whole piece, then work your magic!

I'm right handed, so I use the stiletto in my right hand, folding over the glued edge on itself, using the pattern edge FROM THE OTHER SIDE as my guide.  I fold that edge over until I...just...see...the white edge. 

I don't completely stick down the place I started folding over because I have to blend where I end WHEN I GET BACK AROUND to where I started.  The glue is fairly forgiving...it doesn't dry super quick, but sort of quick.  You can sort of pull up the glued edge where you started, once getting back around to it, but it is so much easier if you leave yourself a little wiggle room.

The inside curves are fairly easy, rounded corners are a little harder...you just have to make little tucks, little pleats.  I never clip outside corners.  I poke things with my stiletto in my right hand, then push down and guide with my index finger/fingernail on my left hand.  Here I'm trying to do it with one hand and hold the camera with the other...

Now my husband has the camera...now you will truly see what a horrible photographer I really am by comparison...

Here I am (above) making clips in my curves.  Here you can see the inside edge of this flower, with the little cross-hatch marks that told me to trim a wider turn under allowance where the flower center will overlap. SPOILER ALERT:  That wider bit won't be turned under at all, but will support the piece that overlaps.

Now I apply the glue...since I am not gluing under the area where the next piece will overlap, that is an EXCELLENT place to start with the glue!

Then, I poke with the stiletto in one hand and mash to reinforce as I go with the index finger of the other hand.

As I go around the outside curve, I make little pleats to ease the fullness...big pleats would make the curve jerky and not completely rounded.  This is where the 1/8 inch turn under allowance is your friend!  Sometimes I trim even closer to keep things from getting too bulky on the back for the tighter curves.

Here I am demonstrating using the tweezers to pick things up and move them around.

Here I am clipping with my little scissors.

Applying glue...

This is a little more glue than I normally use...I wanted to make sure we got the picture before it disappeared!  The less glue you use, the easier the needle will stitch later.

Poke, press, poke, press...

Try a few pieces before tackling tiny circles.  They aren't hard, but shouldn't be your first choice with which to experiment.

You really can make a nice, flat circle this way.

Ta da!!!  Now all the pieces are glue stick prepped!  Tune in next time and we'll get everything glue basted and ready for hand stitching.

Now you can really see the "tuck under" allowances on the pattern edges that were cross-hatched.

Just a note about glue...Elmer's doesn't pay me to say that their glue is excellent...it just is.  I've tried other glue sticks - even ones made for quilters.  Some are more sticky, the skinny ones aren't sturdy, the "quilter's" glue sticks are expensive, and I love the fact that this disappearing purple thing allows me to be a little forgetful.  I can see it!

This is part one...part two will follow tomorrow. 

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)