Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Yesteryear - Applique Stitches

The quilt above is patchwork ( the star pattern ) and appliqued (the curved vine and flowers.)

In the past, applique was quite popular and done beautifully by hand.   Several stitches were used and it was thought that stitches should show as little as possible--for obvious reasons.  Some quilters used an 'invisible' stitch.  Most of the thread, provided it is a matching color, is hidden in the fold of the fabric.

Start the first stitch with a knotted single thread into the fold from the wrong side of the fabric.  It then comes out thru the fold.   For the second stitch, insert the needle into the fold right near the spot where the first stitch ends, then come back out in the fold about a 1/4" ahead while taking a short stitch into the backing fabric. Repeat.  Practice makes perfect!  This stitch was very popular in many old quilts. 

I feel that hand work is very relaxing.  Try it sometime!

2 comments:

Crystal said...

You are so right. Everyone should learn to realax with a little handiwork. :-)

Marlene said...

Thank you for the lesson, I did not know how they did applique. I will have to give it a try.