Do you have some fun colorful scraps and want to make a quick project? Gammill Quilt Artist Karen Marchetti shares the perfect idea to celebrate spring.
Karen uses her AccuQuilt Go! to cut scraps of fabrics and then raw edge appliqués them on her Gammill.
1. Start with various strips of background fabrics (also scraps) sewn together.
2. Then, add on some green for the grass. This can also be done using various strips of greens.
3. Baste your edges down on your backing and batting of choice
.
Here are the flowers Karen cut using Go! Die No. 55007 Round Flower.
4. Take your stem pieces and place them on the fabric in a pleasing pattern. You can use a glue stick to temporarily hold them in place.
5. Stitch around each stem using a zigzag motion, slowly going back and forth over the edges of the appliqué piece. Karen used constant speed set at about 30% motor. You can use a regulated stitch until you are more comfortable with the zigzag motion.
6. Then, add your leaves (again, using the glue stick to hold them temporarily). Continue with the tiny zigzag motion until you have gone around the entire leaf
.
7. Continue this same zigzag stitch around the flowers. Start with the largest piece, stitching around the edges. Continue on to the next flower, again starting with the largest piece.
8. Continue adding each flower layer one piece at a time. Make sure to stitch all the edges down before continuing to the next flower layer. Again, a glue stick comes in handy to hold those little pieces while you stitch.
9. Once you have stitched around all the appliqué pieces, you are ready to quilt the project. Karen chose a meandering loop for her quilting, as well as some rows of grass. Bind and enjoy!
Karen will be teaching a more detailed class on this in July at AQS Quiltweek in Syracuse – the class is Piece & Appliqué the Longarm Way.
Karen Marchetti
www.creativelongarmquilting.com
Gammill Quilting Artist