Quilting Applique Flowers and Leaves

June 3, 2019
Quilting Applique
Boxes and Vines Applique Flowers and Leaves
Good Morning, Quilters!

This week,  I am working on my Boxes and Vines project– quilting the  applique flowers and leaves. For all of my quilts, I have a general quilting plan as I begin, and allow the plan to evolve as I stitch.

Before I create my plan, I try to think about what I am trying to achieve.

For example, I would like the applique leaves and flowers to really stand out.  In order to do that, I started by densely quilting around the applique shapes. (Read more about quilting around applique here.)  Dense stitching compacts the three layers around the applique and lifts the unquilted applique.

applique flowers and leaves

My original plan was to leave the flowers and leaves unquilted. However, when I was finished with all the background stitching, the applique looked a little too plain. The applique flowers and leaves really need some embellishment.

Next Choice: Thread

I decided to stitch the applique flowers and leaves with heavy weight (30 wt) variegated thread.  That thread choice posed a new problem.  What would be the best way to travel from one motif to the next?  I started with the flowers and quickly realized that I needed to cut my thread between each motif.

But I hate making knots!

BERNINA 770QE applique quilt
Switching Machines

I currently have two sewing machines set up in my studio, a BERNINA 770QE domestic sewing machine and a BERNINA Q20 sit-down quilting machine.  I used the Q20 to stitch most of the quilt.  However, I decided to switch to the B770QE to stitch the flowers. The B770 has an automatic knot and cutter feature.  By pressing one button, the machine stitches in place to create a knot and then cuts the bobbin and the top thread.  This leaves a small tail on the back, so I’ll have a bit of trimming to do later.  (I like to trim when I do the hand binding.)

Travel Stitching or Knotting Off?

When using heavy thread, sometimes the best solution is to knot off between motifs. While I would prefer to stitch one continuous line and connect the applique flowers, cutting off was the best solution for this design.

quilting applique
Martingale and BERNINA University

Progress continues on my third book-a series of lessons and projects!  The editor and photographer from Martingale are coming to my house this week for a photo shoot.  Guess who cleaned her sewing room!?

Next week, I am traveling to Jacksonville, Florida to teach at BERNINA University-a conference for dealers.  Hope your dealer is there!!!

quilting applique flowers and leaves

What about YOU?

Do YOU have any applique quilts in your collection?

How did YOU quilt them?

What thread did YOU use?

Have YOU cleaned YOUR sewing room lately?

We’d LOVE to hear!

Happy Stitching!

Lori

PS…My first two books–each with more than 60 step-by-step motifs and so much more are available at my Etsy shop!

PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ.  For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com.  Thanks!

 

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