Now that I have the binding on Mom’s quilt to the handstitching stage, I can officially start on my next project. These are the fabrics for my cousin’s quilt, a commissioned king size for their bed. She hasn’t even seen the fabrics, just told me they wanted brown and cream. This is what I purchased. I am going to do a log cabin, barn raising layout, only I am going to do the four center blocks completely in the cream, so I have a large cream center diamond. Inside that diamond, will be an applique of their cattle brand. I’m not much of an applique-er, so wish me much luck! Her husband is going to draft out the applique pattern for me, so at least I don’t have to do that myself. I’m going to quilt it with feathers and some western motifs.
Now that I have started sewing my blocks together, another thought has occurred to me. Will it be a problem to applique onto pieced blocks???
Ramblings From Randi, The Wild Rose Quilter 
Randi, I have been getting a lot of brown tops to quilt lately. They have been really nice. Lots of good browns out there. I am very interested to see the top when it is done.
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Randi, Appliqueing over the pieced blocks won’t be a problem, but just sew the 4 blocks together that you will be appliqueing on. Then I would stay stitch 1/8″ in around the outside edge. Clear as mud?????
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I understand you perfectly! That is my other dilemma. The applique won’t only be on those four blocks. It will also stretch into the light halves of the surrounding blocks…is that clear as mud? So that I have an cream shaped diamond in the middle that is about 56″ square. They want the applique large, in the center of the quilt. The original request, if I remember correctly, was that John wanted like a four foot square in the center with the applique in it. I came up with the log cabin barn raising plan. I felt that I could pull that off easier than having to draft the rest of the quilt around a four foot square. I’m a pattern follower, not designer…I didn’t score high enough on that artistic quiz 🙂
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Love the browns.. it’s my favorite color believe it or not. I am pretty good at design, but I do not do applique, so I’m not going to be much help on that. Plus, my feeble brain isn’t following too well….. visual person…. is there any way the 56 inch square is all cream? right?? does that have to be peiced? or just one large square that you are peicing around?? My brain now hurts…. going to find coffee…..
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Yes, the center will be all cream…the four inner blocks, plus the light halves of the surround blocks.
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So could you just cut one big peice for the four inner blocks?? To make the applique lay smoother?
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I thought of that, but I think the applique is going to reach out past the four inner blocks, onto the piecing in the surrounding blocks, and I thought that would look weird. I think it’s all gonna work…I have the inner blocks pieced and they are pretty flat and smooth after pressing.
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Randi, are you doing hand or machine applique? If by machine, you should have no trouble. I do this all the time, and don’t do anything different that when on whole piece of fabric.
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Randi, if you cut away the background behind the applique when you’ve finished stitching it down, it’ll lay nice and flat and smooth.
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Thanks for the input everyone! I’m sure I will have more questions when I actually get to the applique part. I plan on doing machine applique. I haven’t decided yet whether I want to do freezer paper, fusible w/satin stitch or some other decorative stitch around it, or some other method yet. The brand will be fairly simple…when I get his pattern, I will post a pic.
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Randi:
When you get to the applique, you might want to purchase some of the embroidery stabilizer that will dissolve in water. That would stabilize the applique while you are stitching it but dissolve when the quilt is washed. I’m not talking about the water soluble stabilizer but the fabric type. Sulky has a product called Sulky Fabri-Solvy.
Judy in MO
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Some of my most favorite quilts are ones that are applique on top of piecing. It does make it more interesting to work on a big piece, but I’m sure you’ll be able to do it. I look forward to seeing what you end up with, sounds like an intriguing project!
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Thanks for the tip, Judy…I will check that out!
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