Workshop with Anne Sommerlad - machine applique

We had another excellent day with Anne Sommerlad on Saturday, learning her machine quilting technique.  Anne juggled three quilt designs of varying complexity between fifteen students with apparent ease - while we managed our fabric, applique shapes, stabilisers, fusibles, cutting, tracing, gluing and sewing skills with more varied success. By the end of the day, we were well on the way to confident machine applique to complete the day's projects, and to use our new found skills in other projects.

Our class packs included pattern pieces already printed
 onto fusible material - we just had to make sure we ironed 
them onto our fabrics with the numbers facing
up - and we nearly always did ...
Then the room went quiet(er) as we concentrated on lots 
of careful cutting - and there will be more, especially 
for those making the larger quilts with many pieces, 
in many different, vibrant colours ...

... like this selection from Lynette's stash,
for her version of Anne's 'Summer' quilt ...

... and Elaine's palette.

Precision gluing was achieved with the help of a variety
of instruments - this is crane's wings, and Marilyn is 
prepping his body shape

We set our machines for tiny stitches and practised slow,
deliberate stitching for a neat, secure edge ... and it worked!

The crane crest has beautiful but tight curves, and pointy
wings and beak, requiring care, and some revision at times,
to achieve such good results as Roslyn's, prepared for stitching.

Georgie chose complimentary oriental prints 

for her Kamon crests - this is one of the 

crane's wings, ready to be stitched.

Anne is an excellent and encouraging teacher
... and we loved her hand knitted cardigan!

Design reference points were traced to backgrounds,
and the layering of pieces began

Anne gave us lots of tips throughout the day, including a recommendation for Tilda Fix Lite, a new fusible web product made by Victoria Textiles - a Google search will help you to locate a local supplier.

We had a little show and tell from our previous class with
Anne - Margaret's blocks were much admired
(as were Daphne's, but the photo opportunity was missed!)

Lynette's Hishigata quilt was finished in time for our
show in April - it was good to see it again.

Thanks to Georgie for organising the workshop, and to Anne for a a very good day, with so much to learn and practise.