It's Applique Week!

If you've been following along and making the Schoolgirl Sampler quilt with me since January, you should be finished with all the blocks or pretty close to being finished by now. This week is Week 13 -  Applique Week! I'll show you how to do the center section in the file in the Facebook Sampler group. The same file is on my website under the Schoolgirl Sampler Sew Along page.  But please also read pages 12 -13 and 76 -77 in the book. The file contains other suggestions for making this section if you're not fond of applique. 

Applique is fun and if you haven't tried it, you're missing out. Sure, it takes a bit of practice but everything does. I designed this quilt with simple shapes so it wouldn't be that difficult if you're a first timer. 

Make sure you study the directions for starch and template applique in this week's file and practice making some leaves or peels. See if this is something you can do. If not, watch some videos on YouTube or experiment with a few different applique methods to find one that perhaps suits you better. All I can say is I dreaded the "A" word a few years ago. Could never do it well. A friend taught me how to applique this way and I never looked back. It's so easy and it sure saved me in making my Dear Jane quilt. 

Here are few extra Peony blocks from the Peony Star quilt in my book Remembering Adelia -

Easy prep

Toothpicks are your friends . . . .

Some other simple applique quilts from my books and patterns. It doesn't HAVE to be difficult to be cute. 

There are so many applique projects I want to make. Hoping to get to do more of them soon.

Here are a few of my favorite resources for learning applique -

 You can find the Applique Made Easy book on the left on Amazon ridiculously cheap. It's an older book, but still great. Kim Diehl's book has some good freezer paper and wool applique directions. The DVD on the bottom by Karen Kay Buckley is excellent. A bit pricey but definitely a game changer for me. It's like taking a private class. That you can revisit again and again. While you're at it, pick up some of her Perfect Circles -

Have a good weekend! If I got you thinking about maybe learning to do some applique, practice making some peels, leaves or hearts. Once you conquer a few basic shapes, you can do just about anything . . . .