Hearts & more hearts

This is my finished heart wall hanging project. I created several applique hearts I needed and instead of just tossing the blocks into a pile of unfinished projects, I created something with them. The stippling around the hearts really makes the hearts puff up, giving them a raised, 3D look to them.

The binding was fun and something new I tried. It is the piped binding method that Ricky Tims shows in his latest DVD, Grand Finale. It is very easy to cut and stitch the binding and apply it to the quilt. And the great thing for those of you who dislike handwork, is that the bindng is finished by stitching in the ditch instead of tacking on by hand. Since I love handwork, I don't mind stitching on the binding by hand, but it is quicker with this method by stitching in the ditch.

Fussy Cutting Applique Embroidery Designs

Click the photos for a larger image.

Applique embroidery designs are fun and easy to stitch, plus they can save time by replacing fabric with stitches. But can you position the fabric so the butterfly or flower on the applique fabric is in the center of the applique design? If you can fussy cut quilt blocks and pieces, can you fussy cut the fabric for applique designs? Most definitely!

With most applique embroidery designs, the applique part of the design has 3 outline stitches to it: a placement stitch, a tackdown stitch and an outline stitch. The applique fabric is placed on the fabric in the embroidery hoop, then the placement stitch (a straight stitch) is stitched on top of the applique fabric. The applique fabric is trimmed close to the stitching, a tackdown stitch (an open zigzag stitch) is stitched and then the final outline satin stitch encloses the raw fabric edges, completing the applique design. See Applique Embroidery Designs for detailed instructions.

It is hard to know where the placement stitch will be sewn when the fabric is just laid in the hoop. You need a placement line before the applique fabric is laid down to see where the design will be stitched. Stitch the placement stitch twice and you will have a placement line for perfect fabric placement and a placement line to trim away the extra applique fabric.

Prepare the applique fabric by fusing wonderunder to the wrong side, making sure there is enough fabric around the the fabric motif which will be centered in the applique heart.

Hoop the fabric or spray it on the stabilizer with 505 spray adhesive. Select the design and stitch the first stitch - the placement stitch. This will stitch an outline of the applique design on the fabric.

Lay the applique fabric on top of the outline, centering the motif in the center of the shape.

Restitch the placement stitch. To do this you will need to go back a color by touching the back arrow on your machine. You could also go back a stitch at a time until you reach the starting point of the first placement stitch.
After restitching the placement stitch, be sure the motif on the fabric is in the correct place with the placement stitch. If it is not centered or where you want it, just rip the placement stitches out, reposition the fabric and restitch the placement stitch.

Trim the excess fabric around the applique shape and continue with the tackdown and outline stitch as you normally would do. The motif is in the center of the applique, exactly where it should be! Perfect placement with no guessing or ripping (hopefully!) involved!

Download my FREE applique heart and try out this technique for yourself!

FREE Applique Heart Download

Are you new to applique embroidery designs or would you like another design to add to your collection? Try downloading my FREE applique heart design! Click here to go to the download page. If you are unsure or need a refresher for how applique designs are stitched, take a peek at these directions.

Enjoy!! :)

Applique Embroidery Designs

Click the photos for a larger image.

Stitching applique designs on your sewing machine is a neat technique to combine many of your favorite fabrics. Combine applique fabrics with machine embroidery and the list of projects you can create is endless.

Why would you let your embroidery machine applique a design instead of you stitching the satin stitch around the fabric? With machine embroidery, the machine is guiding the satin stitches, mitering corners and knotting the thread at the beginning and end of the design. Some applique designs add details on top of the applique fabric after it is stitched to the base fabric, such as facial features, flower centers, animal wings or shading to further compliment the design. So why not sit back and watch your machine do the work? :)

Two fabrics are used: the base fabric, which is what the design is sewn onto and the applique fabric, which is the fabric that is trimmed and attached to the base fabric. Wonderunder needs to be fused to the applique fabric before stitching for several reasons. It adds stability to the fabric, it is easier to trim the excess fabric around the shape and can be fused to the base fabric after the stitching is complete, which can eliminate puckers and wrinkles in the applique fabric. I prefer to use Heat 'n' Bond wonderunder. It irons on smooth, without wrinkles and the paper backing easily peels off, leaving the adhesive on the fabric.

Most applique designs offer an outline or a series of outlines where the applique fabric will placed, then satin or blanket stitches finish the raw edges of the applique fabric. The most common applique designs will have 3 outline stitches: a placement stitch, a tackdown stitch & an outline stitch. Your machine will read each stitch as a separate thread color, although you may use the same color throughout the design. The thread color change tells the machine to stop so you can trim the fabric before the final stitch is sewn.

Placement stitch - This is the first color in the design. It is a straight stitch that attaches the applique fabric to the base fabric. This stitch lets you trim off the extra fabric around the outside of the applique shape.

Tackdown stitch - This is the second color in the design. Most commonly it is an open zigzag stitch that tacks down and holds the applique fabric in place before the outline is sewn. It will also help to prevent any fabric edges from showing through after the design is complete. If a blanket or decorative stitch is the outline stitch, the tackdown is usually eliminated so that it will not show through when the design is finished.

Outline stitch - The third color in the design is the finishing outline stitch. Most of the time it is a satin stitch that seals the raw edges of the fabric, but on some designs a blanket stitch or other decorative stitch is used.

If you haven't stitched an applique embroidery design or are unsure how it works, here is how to do it. You can download the heart applique design that I have created and stitch it out yourself! Just click on the link below and it will take you to the page to download it.

Prepare the applique fabric by fusing wonderunder to the wrong side. Cut the applique fabric so it is larger than the design.

Hoop the stabilizer, spray it with 505 spray adhesive and place the base fabric in the hoop. Peel off the wonderunder paper backing on the applique fabric. Lay the applique fabric, right side up, on the area where the design will be stitched. If needed you can lightly spray the wrong of the applique fabric with 505 adhesive and stick it to the base fabric. I prefer to lay the fabric down and hold it with my hands if necessary. It is very easy to spray too much of the 505 adhesive, which makes it tougher to trim off the excess fabric.

Select the applique design or send it from your computer to your machine. Stitch the first color - the placement stitch. It will be a straight stitch in the shape of the design. The thread color does not matter; it will be covered by the outline stitch.

Take the hoop out of the machine, but DO NOT take the fabric out of the hoop. Trim around the applique fabric with a small pair of scissors, cutting close to the placement stitches, trying not to clip the stitches. For best results, work on a flat surface and pick up the excess applique fabric while trimming close to the placement stitches. This will keep tension on the fabric as you clip, making it simple to do! I like to use Snip-Eze scissors which have a curved blade with a sharp point. This makes it easy to get close to the stitches without clipping them.

Place the hoop back in the machine and stitch the second color - the tackdown stitch. It will stitch an open zigzag, which secures the fabric in place before the outline is stitched.

Continue stitching the design. The third color will finish the fabric raw edge with a satin stitch. It will automatically tie off the start and end of the thread, just like any other design. You're finished!

Keep in mind that applique designs are digitized differently in how they stitch the placement and tackdown stitches. Either there are two outlines, one for placement (straight stitch) and one for the tackdown (open zigzag) or there is only one outline. If there is only one outline, it will be necessary to go back and repeat the placement stitch to secure the applique fabric to the base fabric.

Details and shading are sometimes added to applique designs after the applique is stitched. Multiple appliques may be stitched in the same design. The same procedure is repeated with each applique part in the design. The corresponding design color chart will guide you through the design colors in designs that have more than one applique part.

To get you started, download the applique heart design (available in multiple formats) and stitch it out using some of your favorite fabrics! Click here to go to the download page.

Preventing Puckered Satin Stitches

Satin stitching is a fun and easy stitch to sew! It is a multi-purpose stitch that can be used for applique, decorative stitching and covering raw edges. But have you ever had puckers in your fabric from satin stitching? Or maybe the fabric folds under and bunches up in the satin stitches? Read on to discover ways to prevent this from happening!

When fabric is tucked into satin stitches as they are being sewn, that is called tunneling. The fabric is not heavy enough to hold the stitches and therefore the fabric puckers and tunnels. This commonly happens when satin stitching. As the needle jumps from the left to the right, forming each stitch, the tension on the thread pulls the fabric between the stitches, creating puckers. When you are finished satin stitching, the puckers will not allow the fabric to lay out flat.

To eliminate puckers and tunnels, a stabilizer is needed to support the stitches. Most cotton fabrics do not have the body and stability to hold the stitches on their own. Lightly spray a piece of tear away stabilizer with spray adhesive. Stick the fabric to the tear away stabilizer. Press down firmly and smooth the fabric over the stabilizer. Sew the satin stitches where needed and then tear off the stabilizer from the back of the fabric. Gently press the fabric and your satin stitching is complete! Note: I prefer to use 505 Spray Adhesive because it doesn't gum my needle and sprays evenly and cleanly.

satin stitching without stabilizer

satin stitching with stabilizer

The tear away stabilizer will keep the fabric flat and support the stitches as you sew. The spray adhesive will hold to fabric to the stabilizer and prevent it from moving. As the needle moves from left to right, the stabilizer will not allow the tension on the thread to pucker and tunnel the fabric. Not only is satin stitching easier with tear away stabilizer underneath, but also creates a more professional look when finished. Try it on your next satin stitching project and see if it works for you!

For tips on starting, stopping and tying off the thread while satin stitching, see here.

fabric & tear away stabilizer

Unraveling Satin Stitches

You have just finished the perfect satin stitch on an applique heart! Everything is perfect, the purple stitching smoothly guides over the curves of the heart. But as you go to trim the stitching thread...your beautiful stitches start unraveling! With just a little tug, more and more of the satin stitches are pulling out of the fabric! You know that you backstitched at the beginning and end of your stitches, so why are they unraveling?

Has this happened to you? It certainly has to me and it can be very frustrating!! The reason it is unraveling is because it needs a securing stitch at the beginning and end of your stitching. With satin stitching, backstitching is not enough to hold the stitches in place to keep them from unraveling. The thread needs to be secured by little, tiny stitches before you begin and after you finish the satin stitches.

For newer machines, there is a knotting or securing thread feature that automatically ties off the thread when the button is pressed. This makes it simple and easy. Press the securing button, stitch the satin stitches, and press the securing button when finished. But what do you do if your machine doesn't have this feature? Here is the method I use to secure my satin stitches, decorative stitches and quilting stitches.

You will use one stitch setting for the securing stitch and another stitch setting for the satin stitch. The stitch settings may vary for each machine, so try it on a scrap before stitching on your project.

Stitch #1 - Securing Stitch - This stitch will be sewing before and after the satin stitch.
Width - 0

Length - 0.5
Needle position - 2-3 notches to the left

Stitch #2 - Satin Stitch - This stitch will cover the edges of your applique heart.

Width - 3.5

Length - 0.3
Needle position - in the center

Place your fabric under the foot of the machine and set your stitch settings to stitch #1. Sew 5-6 stitches. These will be tiny straight stitches sewn on the inside of the heart.

Set your machine settings to stitch #2. Start stitching the satin stitch, following the edge of your applique fabric. Continue until you reach the place where you want to stop or you are back to the beginning of your stitching. Stitch over a few of the previous satin stitches. Switch to stitch #1 and sew 5-6 stitches. These little stitches should be just inside the satin stitch. They will secure the thread so it will not unravel and at the same time be hidden by the satin stitch.

Basically this technique is the exact same thing that happens when you press the securing function on your machine. The difference is that most machines will sew the securing stitches in one place, which can create a knot on the back that can come through to the front of the fabric. With the method I use, the stitch length of stitch #1 - the securing stitch - is set to 0.5, which moves the fabric a teeny, tiny bit with each stitch. With 5-6 stitches, the fabric has moved no more than 1/8". This eliminates the knot that is formed with the securing stitch.

Yes, all my machines have the securing feature! But on satin stitching and other decoratives, I usually prefer to use the method above. I also use it when I am machine quilting. I don't want a knot of thread on the front or back of my quilt.

With my machine, it is so easy to flip between the two stitches. Some, but not all machines will be able to remember stitch settings as you flip between stitches. Give your machine a try and see if it will work for you! I set stitch #1 and stitch #2 to the settings described above. I touch stitch #1 and sew 5-6 stitches. Then I touch stitch #2 and sew my satin stitch. When I am finished, I again touch stitch #1 and tie off the thread. The machine remembers my stitch settings in each stitch as I flip back and forth, until I change the settings or I turn the machine off. It works great and saves lots of time!! Try it on your next satin stitching project! :)