Yesterday I talked about preparing applique pieces using the product from Alex Anderson, but I wasn’t happy with the results…..
WHAT TO DO!!
In a previous life, I had done some appliqué using freezer paper as my base so I decided to return to that.
With this technique, you use the freezer paper template and fold the fabric edges over it.
I traced the design for three of the blooms onto the paper side of a piece of freezer paper….
I then stacked up three layers of freezer paper….
and ironed them together using a cool dry iron….
I cut the pieces out and found that since I had used THREE layers of Freezer Paper, the template was nice and stiff…..
I ironed the shiny side of the freezer paper template onto the fabric…..
and then cut them out with a scant quarter-inch overhang.
Now it’s time to see how these edges turn over and if I can get them smoother than I did with the paper from Alex Anderson.
Since I don’t particularly like using a glue stick, I’m going to try using the magic sizing trick….
…..that I learned from Karen Kay Buckley.
Since you don’t need much of the spray, I sprayed a small amount into the cap……
And then dipped a stencil brush in…..
Note here that NOT MUCH IS NEEDED!!!
Next, I brushed the sizing onto the fabric edges….
(My concern here is that the paper is going to start losing its stiffness because of the liquid.)
I used the tip of my iron to carefully work around the pattern, pressing the edges in and holding the iron there until it dried…..
I found that the Freezer Paper DID hold its shape!!
Once I had gone around the entire petal, I turned it to the front and put the iron on top of the whole thing……
And look…..
This is the nicest-looking petal I have seen so far!!
And yes, I realize that the point isn’t perfect but I can tuck that little piece in when I’m actually doing the appliqué.
Let’s keep going.
The second one worked well but on the third one, the paper started bending a little bit. I think I used too much magic sizing on it, but I simply put the iron on it and let it dry, and then started over again with a smaller amount. It seemed to work fine.
This one has a few more bumps in it, but again I’m thinking it’s because the paper got wet……
However, these three are certainly better than the ones I prepared yesterday……
While this technique worked better than the first one, I still had issues with the paper becoming saturated with Magic sizing and starting to lose its integrity.
SO I guess that means I need to do one more test and try the Heat-resistant Template Plastic …..
Come back Tuesday for the results!!!
Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single post!!
In this blog, I post DAILY stories about creativity, techniques, tools of the trade, and lots more about the wonderful art of quilting. If you are enjoying these posts, please subscribe to be notified of each new blog as it becomes available.