Heart Flowers Quilt

marking pencils for applique fabric (light for dark fabric, dark for light fabric)
freezer paper for templates
sandpaper board
1/4" bias tape maker or Celtic bar

Steps:

Preparation

1. Fold background in half and finger press. Open, turn 1/4 inch, fold again and finger press.

2. Trace pattern of rose and leaves onto freezer paper, cut out and iron onto right side of applique fabrics with dry iron on "wool" setting. Edges of shapes should be on the bias as much as possible for ease in needleturn. Leave the freezer paper on until ready to stitch. Trace freezer paper template with marking pencil for turn under line.

3. Trace pattern and markings onto clear upholstery vinyl with Sharpie.

4. Cut 3/16-inch seam allowance around applique pieces.

5. Align clear upholstery vinyl overlay with creases in background fabric. Slip applique piece under overlay, aligning the freezer paper with the overlay. Set aside overlay. Pin applique piece in seam allowance to hold. Remove freezer paper. Repositions pins inside applique.

6. With needle, turn seam allowance under to hide the turn under line. Stitch applique in order of numbering on pattern, from back to front with very small stitches set close together.

Celtic bias for basket

1. Cut 1-1/4-inch bias strips from brown fabric. Fold fabric lengthwise, wrong side in, and stitch 1/4 inch from fold.

2. Slip 1/4-inch bias bar into tube. Twist seam to the flat side of bar and press with a steam iron. Seam allowance will extend past the edge of the tube.

3. Trim the excess seam allowance from the tube, next to the stitching, so that the seam allowance will not pass the outside edges of the tube.

4. Cut lengths of bias according to the pattern. Using the placement vinyl, place the bias, weaving the pieces. With a tiny dollop of fabric glue, stabilize the intersections of the weaving. Stitch all edges of the bias to the background.

Piecing applique units

1. When cutting the seam allowance for the rose, cut 3/16-inch seam allowances for the outside edges but leave as much as an inch for seam allowances that will be overlapped by another piece.

2. The excess acts as "background" from one piece to the next and gives a place to pin-baste. For instance, #1 becomes the background to #2. Once it is no longer needed, trim the seam allowance of #1 and then stitch #3 to the #1-2 unit. Each time you complete stitching a piece, remove the excess seam allowance. When the entire unit is constructed, the back of the unit will show no excess seam allowance. Stitch the entire unit to the background.

Twisting seam allowance

1. Sometimes it is necessary for an applique piece to both overlap another piece and be overlapped by that piece.

2. Choose a logical spot between the two points and split the seam allowance. The seam allowance will finger press in both directions.

3. Begin stitching at the point of the twist. End stitching at the end of the seam; bury the thread in the seam allowance, traveling the needle back to the point of the twist, and stitch in the opposite directions to the other end of the seam. By making sure that no stray threads escape from the split in the seam, the twist will be virtually invisible.