Appliqué Sewing Machine Day

Today we’ll appliqué the machine to the background block.

I had to choose a background print

from my incredibly cool Thimbleberries cart!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cut

• 13″ square of background fabric (will be trimmed to 12  1/2″)

 

Since I used the freezer paper technique

for machine appliqué I’ll show those steps today.

Feel free to use another form of appliqué,

fusible web, needle turn, etc.

Hopefully you have a 12  1/2″ x 12  1/2″ ruler.

By laying the ruler on the background square

you will be able to line up the appliqué

shape to see where to position it.

(The background should extend 1/4″ around the outside of the ruler.)

Put the bottom of the machine 2  3/4″

above the bottom of the ruler.

Pin the top of the machine in place.

Fold up the bottom of the machine to glue the edges.

Press glued edges to background fabric.

Unpin the appliqué then fold it down

to glue remaining edges.

Press remaining edges to background fabric.

Use the 12  1/2″ ruler to press entire

appliqué to background fabric to set the glue.

Stitch sewing machine appliqué shape to background.

I used a tiny blind hem stitch

with thread matching the sewing machine.

This is the same stitch that I use

to appliqué the Dresden plates.

With very sharp, small scissors,

CAREFULLY

cut slits in the background fabric

behind the sewing machine.

Be sure to go all around the shape

so you can reach all corners of the paper later.

Now the scary part…

Wet the entire sewing machine,

front & back, under running water.

Be sure to get the entire applique shape wet.

Let it rest a few minutes.

If you’re an impatient person I recommend taking

a walk around your house several times!

You don’t want to remove the

freezer paper until the glue is dissolved!!!

When you’re sure the glue is dissolved,

work your way around the sewing machine

GENTLY

pulling diagonally on the block

to release the stitches from the freezer paper.

If the freezer paper doesn’t easily pop free,

get it wetter!

You don’t want to pull the stitches

away from the sewing machine!

Once the freezer paper is free, pull it out.

It comes out mostly whole,

except in the tight areas.

I used a pin to pull the paper from the needle,

top of hand wheel & spool.

Once the freezer paper is all removed,

set the block to dry.

I like to set these on my kitchen table

& turn the ceiling fan to for a quick dry.

Pressing a wet block will distort it!

Ask me how I know…

Once it’s dry, spray & press

with Mary Ellen’s Best Press.

Align ruler with bottom of machine 2  3/4″ from bottom of ruler.

Bottom corners of machine should be 1″ from the left side

& 1″ from right side.

Trim to 12  1/2″ x 12  1/2″.

Show us your blocks at my Sewing With Susan FB Group.

We want to see your progress too!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan