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What Tools Do You Use for Quilting Around Applique?


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Hi Group,

What kind of tools do you all use to trace around border applique designs? Does anyone have a good pic of 1/4 inch echo quilting around a border applique?

I have a tool that I think will work but would like to see what others use. The rulers that I have don\'t follow the curve of the applique enough and the quilting is bumpy looking and not smooth...

Any recommendations of rulers that have lots of curve to them?

Has anyone tried a flexible curve drafting ruler. I just bought one of these and want to try it out tonight...but wanted to see what the experts use.

I\'ve also thought about doing cross-hatching of some sort around the applique border but I think the 1/4 inch echoing might work better...

The quilt I am working on is custom but does not have heavy quilting in the center of the quilt so I don\'t want to add too much quilting to the borders and I don\'t want the quilting on the borders to take away from the applique.

Thanks and I look forward to your responses!

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Hi Joanne

Well I have seen anyone answer your question yet so I\'ll try to help Usually

I just eyeball it and free motion around applique to echo. But on those days when nothing I quilt work out the way I want, I resort to my Sew Clear Mini Curve Template By Willow Deaf Studio. You can view and purchase at www.columbiariverquilting.com(look under longarm heading). This sweet, little tool has several different curvey angles that I find helpful. Some days I need all the help I can get.

Good luck.

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Deloa Jones just put a new applique ruler on the market. It fits around your hopping foot and you guide it with your hand. It is supposed to give you control as you outline your applique and the edges are rounded so that it can\'t get hooked on your applique. I\'m going to be using it tonight I hope on an applique quilt I am working on. I\'ll let you know how it works form me.

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Joanne,

OK so I got to try out Deloa\'s ruler tonight. I think I\'m going to like it. I would prefer to not use rulers at all but getting the control around applique is essential. I feel very awkward with rulers and it takes a lot of practice for me but I\'m getting better. Deloa\'s ruler went over the applique very well which was nice. I found I did best holding the ruler with my left hand and then pushing the machine with my right. The ruler fits around the hopping foot, although I do wish it were just a tad tighter on the foot than it is.

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Laurie,

I think the ruler is pretty new. I got it at MQS and bought the last one they had. You should email Deloa or better yet give her a call on her cell phone. It is tear drop shaped with a cut-out for the foot in the pointed end. I can try to get a picture but won\'t be able to do it until tomorrow.

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Sounds very unusual and interesting!!!! Heidi, I can wait til tomorrow to see a photo. No hurry! Just curious!

Thanks, Shana! I will be going to MQS next year. I miss not being in the know on all the good stuff!!!! Are you going again?

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Great ideas from both Kate and Heidi and thanks for the picture of Deloa\'s ruler!. Both these rulers look like that will give me the curves I need to follow. I have the ruler from Donita Reeves called the AccuGuide. Yes, Heidi, I need to PPP also....getting control and making the quilting lines smooth around the applique is quite the challenge.

I had some success with my 12 inch flexi ruler (only around $5.00 at the Architecture/Engineering supply store). It didn\'t really help me control the machine very well but I was able to mark the quilt with the 1/4 inch guide lines. Now if I can just quilt fast enough and accurately enough not to have the purple lines disappear in NC humidity, I might be on a roll. This flexi ruler is 1/4 inch in width and flexes around the applique...the length of this ruler is 12 inches. I\'ll see if I can find a pic.

So, again tonight I will work on my applique technique!!...after I rip out my first two 1/4 inch lines I did last night!:P

Thanks!

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Jess thanks for posting the picture!

Joanne - the hopping foot fits in the cut out. You could also use the outside to use as a guide for other applications as well. What I do like about it is it fits nicely in the palm of your hand and because of the rounded edges it doesn\'t get caught up on the applique.

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Try using your hopping foot as a 1/4" guide. I know that sounds easier than it is, but that would eliminate marking. I would do anything I could to keep from marking the quilt.

I use a smaller paisley ruler for stitching around applique. They curve all different directions so you can usually find the curve you need on them.

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Hi Mary Beth - I tried to follow the hopping foot technique...but my lines didn\'t stay as parallel as I wanted around the leaves...so that\'s why I\'ll have to rip two lines tonight...I think I need to work on the points around the leaves better. I did see that if I PPP with the hopping foot, I might be an expert in a year:(

Just found this website:

http://www.cutting-mats.net/french-curves.html

The french rulers look really neat too...I might have to go ruler hunting at lunch time.

A picture of the flexi curve is shown as the first item, 2nd row and is called Alvin Tru-Flex Graduated Flexible curves...works great for tracing applique 1/4 inch out. This isn\'t the brand I bought but the idea is similar and the 12" in around $5.00.

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I have Deloa\'s Applique\' Ruler and I love it!! I ordered 2 dozen to have in my shop for the local longarmers in the area. I am left handed and I have no trouble using this ruler. A lot of times have have to flip back and forth with specialty rulers.

I think it is a great price too esp. compared to other rulers.

Sandra

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Funny you should ask.

I am working on these hawaiian applique panels that will be used to reupholster an antique settee. I was using a ruler to outline the applique and it was taking about an hour for each full block. I got DeLoa\'s applique guide from a friend to see if it would go any faster. After getting accustomed to using it I am doing a block now in half the time. It really is nice to use, makes it much faster and the stitching is smoother. :cool:

These blocks are 18" blocks. With the outline of the applique and echo inside the applique and scallops on top of the applique we are talking 40 stops and starts per block. I have 84 blocks (including the partial blocks) total to do. I\'\'m beginning to think this is the never ending project!!

Debbi

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Hi Joanne,

I went to the web-site you mentioned.

I\'m not sure if you want a template (sometimes called a ruler) with which to mark your stitch path....or

a real ruler which is usually a 1/4" thick piece of acrylic that snugs up to your hopping

foot (without going under it) and enables you to move and stitch.

I got tangled up with the wording when I first started. Not all rulers are meant to be used

while you are quilting. Some are meant only for marking, then you stitch (in theory)

on top of the line that you marked. :D So much easier said than done.

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Originally posted by dtreusch

These blocks are 18" blocks. With the outline of the applique and echo inside the applique and scallops on top of the applique we are talking 40 stops and starts per block. Debbi

Dang, WOMAN! That\'s a lot of SNSPB (starts n stops per block)

SNSPB ....that\'s a new acronym... something I just made up! :D

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Heidi,

I started out burying threads until I realized that I had a huge number of starts and stops per block and that it was wasting an enormous amount of thread. I\'m backstitching now, taking a couple of locking stitches then dragging thread to the next SID or echo then clipping threads on the back after I take the panel off the machine.

This project is for a designer in NYC. The last one she did was featured in Home and Garden magazine. She\'s hoping this one will also. That would be kinda cool if it is. :cool:

Debbi

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This project is for a designer in NYC. The last one she did was featured in Home and Garden magazine. She\'s hoping this one will also. That would be kinda cool if it is.

That would be more that "kinda cool"....That would be awesome!!

I did a quilt with Hawaiian Applique once....I never seen that customer again :D:P:D I did a terrible job on that quilt. I was very, very, new to quilting....I still think about that quilt. Hope I never get another one.

You are doing a beautiful job on this one!!

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