Collection 3 - reverse applique

This month with The Collection Quilt BOM, Carolyn Friedlander has us stitching concave curves again. The difference this time though is that we are trying our hand at reverse applique.

Last month I used a regular lead pencil to mark the appliques, however I didn't  want any shadow from the marks to show through that white carkai fabric. This time I used a water erasable market, though a  ceramic pencil would also work well.  We have several options available from Sewline.  You can see them here 

Whatever you choose to use, make sure that you test them on a scrap of fabric first and if using a marker, ensure you remove the ink with water before ironing.

My tip this time isn't really a tip as such; more of a don't make the same mistake I did comment.

I completely forgot to factor in the  seam allowance when clipping the inside of those curves.  Look closely in the image above and you will see what I mean.

Instead of paying close attention to the instructions, and OK - doing as I was told, I clipped too close to the basting line. I just went into automatic pilot and clipped away until I was just a thread or two from those basting stitches as if I were easing an armhole in dressmaking.

There are some great photos that Carolyn Friedlander has included in your pattern leaflet.  They show the distance you should be clipping so I suggest you check them out carefully. 

Essentially my mistake meant I had little whiskery bits to deal with as I turned the seam allowance under.  If you look closely you will be able to make make them out.  

Clipping too closely also meant those curves lost their smoothness ancd reverted back to that 50 cent piece I was talking about last month.  

I could have binned it and started over, but I decided to just embrace the irregularities.  I can also really see the improvement as I worked the piece which was really pleasing.

In the next couple of panels, I decide to go a tiny bit off piste again. I  added just one piece of the silver and pickle aerial print that we used back in Collection 1.  You wont be using any of those low volume prints from your first pack again in this project, so go ahead and dive into them if you'd like.

I really like the idea of a large scale printspeeping though the cut out sections we have made with this technique.  Lots of scope to play with colour and texture, so reverse applique is definitely a technique that I am keen to explore again soon.