Copying Katy

It's been hot here in the UK for a week or two, the kind of weather where you want to be sitting outside in the garden, not holed up inside the sewing room and so it's time for some EPP.  I haven't mastered applique so EPP is my portable handwork of choice.  This will be my third summer of EPPing and I have my plan.  One of the most fabulous EPP projects of the last few months is the Hexy MF made by Katy Ginger Monkey.  I've seen this quilt in person and Katy's design, fabric choices and piecing combined with Angela Walters quilting make something really special.
Hexy MF

So I'm going to blatantly rip a page out of her book and make something along the same lines.  I've had a play on Touchdraw (the ingenious iPad vector graphics app) and decided to space the flowers out a bit more (so I have to make fewer of them), arrange them into a hexagon shape (so I have to make fewer of them) and add two more borders than Katy had, top and bottom so the finished quilt will end up a bit squarer then hers.


I'm using the Oakshott sunrise F8 bundle for the flowers since it has the most beautiful array of colours in it and Oakshott Lyon Zest in the flower centres.  I haven't chosen a background yet but I like the Timeless Treasures sketch fabric Katy used so this really will be quite the copycat project.


Oakshott Lyon Zest is the yellow, second one in in the picture below.  I think it will add some lovely texture to the centres of the flowers.  


I cut the hexagon templates in small, medium and large using my hexagon Accuquilt Go Cutter die (an ingenious suggestion by Laura Needles, Pins and Baking Tins (although I don't think it is recommended by the manufacturers as it will blunt the blades) and got about 400 cut in about half an hour from paper heading to the shredder.  And I'm basting them using the brilliant technique shown to me by my real life friend Mandy Simply Solids where she bastes the back without sewing through the paper so the papers can be removed without having to remove the stitches.  So I'm basting, spray starching, pressing and removing papers to make a little stack of Oakshott flowers awaiting the delivery of the Lyon Zest (second from the front in this picture) to give the centres a little added zing and texture.  

But one little thing.  I am going to have to applique circles, leaves and vines in this project so please - what are the best and simplest applique methods?  Do you know of a good tute I could use?  Any top tips? 

Comments

  1. This will be fantastic - all those lovely Oakshott fabrics - what colour are you using for the background?

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  2. Love your Summer project. It will be a gorgeous quilt Lynne, with those shots!

    I’ve learned how to applique by making the Dear Jane quilt and in a class at my LQS. You will find lots of tutorials on the internet as well. Needleturn applique would be wonderful in addition to the hexagons. Using shot cottons will be a bit more of a challenge! I’ve made leaves of the shots for my Lollypop Tree quilt blocks and they fray more than quilters cottons, so I use Fray Check by Prym. To make circles I have used Perfect Circles or freezer paper. The how to can also be found on the internet.

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  3. Gonna be great!
    When you suss the simplest appliqué method, let us know x

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  4. Wow, its beautiful. So bright and it has a real summery look to it.

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  5. Erin Russek has a great slideshow tutorial here---> http://erinrussek.typepad.com/photos/applique_tutorial/index.html

    However, she also has lots of free patterns and quilt alongs with lots of details on her website. Mimi's Bloomers is her 2012 BOM where she provides step by step how to's.

    Enjoy!

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  6. Lovely lovely design, the spirit of Ks with a new twist. My applique recommendation is Clover Black Gold applique needles- bend with the fabric and so so sharp. Their Black Gold Quilting needles also fantastic but more rigid

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  7. Looks like you are going to have some fabric fun. I haven't used the tutorials on applique on this blog but bookmarked them as they looked very useful.
    http://appliquetoday.blogspot.co.uk/
    By the way, I really enjoyed making a few log cabin blocks for Siblings together and it gave me some new fabric combinations to try later.
    Thanks for your continuous inspiration.

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  8. Love those colours. I always use freezer paper when appliquing. Its very easy to use. Love applique, its so relaxing and portable!

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  9. This is going to be another sensational quilt! Can't wait to drool over your progress ;-) also, I took delivery of a Colourbox from Oakshott at the weekend....yum!

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  10. This is going to be gorgeous. I particularly like the Oakshotts with the texture in them. My favourite applique method for leaves is freezer paper (or heat resistant template plastic) and starch. For circles I have a circle template, cut out a circle bigger than the template, stitch a gathering stitch all around the circle and pull it up tight with the template inside and then starch - it's not failed me yet. Erin Russek has excellent tutorials for the starch/template method. http://erinrussek.typepad.com

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  11. Always loved Katys Hexy MF :-) Sounds like yours will be gorgeous too!

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  12. Oooh! I'm looking forward to seeing this LynneBob! A project for our leisurely afternoons in the sun, perfect! x

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  13. I'm super in love with hexagons, and I think using Oakshott would be divine!
    Co-incidentally, next week I'm putting up a tutorial for absolutely invisible hand applique, using hexagons as an example. This week I did a tut on making the actual hexagons.

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  14. Great idea! When hand appliqueing I use YLI silk thread - it is strong but barely noticeable and I don't need to match threads just use a neutral one

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  15. Oooh, that's going to be really pretty, Lynne! I've been playing with my Oakshotts, too, and loving how they change in different lights! Wish I could help on the applique front, but honestly, I stink at it :(

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  16. Needleturn stems would be lovely but if you want something a little quicker - try this die for the Go -
    http://www.accuquilt.com/go-shop/dies/applique/go-round-flower.html

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  17. Hmph, I'm doing the anti-snow dance up here - there were some suspiciously hard 'rain' drops at lunchtime there... However, enjoy your sunshine project (she says, through gritted teeth ;o) ) The pattern looks great, and it'll be fab in those Oakshotts

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  18. I will have to check back at the comments and see what tutorials are suggested. Good luck!

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  19. I can't wait to see it. What a fun summer project.

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  20. I have loved Katy's quilt since the first time I saw it and your mock up looks like I will be adding it to my favorites, too. I'm still petting my Oakshott stack and wondering what to do with it.

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  21. Katy you'd better put your arm round your quilt (like we used to in exams at school) as Lily has her beady eyes-a-roamin'

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  22. have you used freezer paper? you will get a perfect circle every time.

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  23. I needle turn my applique but if you want something quick, I suppose you could fuse and then stitch them down. There are a lot of tutorials on youtube. My friends and I are hand quilters so we don't go in for the fusing. We don't know how long it will last with general washing and use.
    Your design is wonderful and I noticed that your central hexxies make a hexagon on their own. Very pretty.

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  24. First of all, holy crap, you can design a quilt like that in Touchdraw??!?! Brilliant!!

    I love that although you are totally inspired by Katy's gorgeous quilt, you're making a few changes to create your own beautiful project. I cannot wait to see this brilliance all sewn up. It will truly be a stunner, Lynne.

    For appliqueing vines, I like a dual machine/hand method where by you cut 1" bias strips. Fold in half along length. Sew the raw edges with a scant 1/4" s.a. along your wavy line (drawn onto your border with disappearing pen, or chalk). Then, press the folded edge over the seam. Now you have a folded edge to hand-applique down. This method works so well and looks amazing, b/c the vine has some 'heft' to it, being 4 layers thick. Let me know if it's unclear.

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  25. Oh, I love your design! I'd recommend needle turn (over freezer paper templates) for the circles and leaves and making bias strips (using bias pressing bars) for the vines. I can't wait to see you start this one, it's going to be great! (P.S. I love your new header!)

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  26. Beautiful quilt design. And now I'm kinda kicking myself that I didn't buy some of the Lyon fabric when I ordered my other Oakshotts. *sigh*

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  27. For applique I agree with YLI silk--is fine, strong and disappears. Also, I recommend this tute
    http://quiltobsession.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/back-basting-tutorial-lots-of-photos/

    I have tried it and found it *so* easy that I see more applique in my future--something I used to avoid like plague!
    À bi!
    Hazle

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