applique

For those of you not familiar with quilting, applique is where you take one piece of fabric and sew it on top of another (instead of matching the ends of the two fabrics). In quilting, there are four styles of applique that I know of, though I don't know the name of any of them. One style, seen here, gives the pattern a folksy, country, or kiddie feel.  Often quilts for children that have bugs, butterflies, dragons, or the traditional Sun Bonnet Sue quilts will employ this technique. A lot of machine applique also uses it. Quilts done in this style are not for heavy duty use (or machine washing) as the edges can still ravel. But as wall hangings or on beds that are seldom used, this is an easier method that has a gorgeous result.

I loved the bright colors in this exhibit quilt, which is both pieced and appliqued.

Here's a close up of the applique. You can tell it is machine stitched by the
consistently even stitches and the way it leaves gaps in the top material.

Another style is what I learned in class last year. I think it was called a blanket stitch but I'm not sure. The stitches are supposed to be hidden, so you only see the finished "picture".  Here's an example from the Quilt Show:

I was so impressed with this quilt! you don't see the stitches on the fish, it has perfectly rounded corners (which are hard to do!) plus extremely small circles!  Look at that eye! I can't help but wonder whether or not fabric paint or a polka dot swatch was used for the white point of the eye. Or maybe an embroidered french knot? I also adored how they embroidered the name of each fish on the quilt.

It's possible the fish itself (the different colors) was pieced, but it was clearly appliqued onto the back fabric!

 

The next display quilt is one of my favorite styles. I  hope to attempt something similar one day, though it certainly won't be this pattern. I overheard one lady pondering how many years it took for these quilts to be made, and all I can say is "This one took quite a few."  (unless that was all she did for months upon end)

I also saw a form of applique I had never heard of before (and also want to try one day...big surprise, huh?). It's called reverse applique.  I youtubed it this morning and think it is doable (though again, I wouldn't do this pattern).  It's just as much work as the normal applique, but I think it gives the quilt a dimensional feel.

Can you tell how the bird looks like it's sewn beside the fabric instead of on top of it?

And last, but certainly not least, another of my favorite display quilts. This one employed all different styles of quilting, including various appliques.

Notice how the outer circle is on top of the quilt but you don't see stitches?  That's your basic applique. But see how the center of the sun is below the rest of the material?  That's reverse applique...So cool!

and a close up of the sun with it's sequins

More basic applique, but I love how they used a yo-yo for the flower,
adding dimension (as does the folded fabric next to it).

And I'll take about new trends of stitching in quilts tomorrow (this is one of them), but I love how the colored thread on a dark background gives this quilt an embroidered look from a distance. You don't see the threads too far away, (see the first pic of this quilt and you won't see it at all), but it pops when just a step or two away.

There is one other type of applique being used in modern quilts, but since it used mainly in another genre it'll be showcased on another day. It is a time saver, but means the quilt can only be used as art and is not washable. I hate to make something so big that is not practical. That seems to defeat the purpose of quilt. I like for things to be both beautiful and functional. So I hope you've enjoyed day one of the "good" quilts from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival.