You may not have considered hand appliqué and flannel together. But we have found that it can be a match made in heaven! Curl-Up Quilts features cozy, easy projects that pair simple appliqué with cuddly flannel for irresistible quilts and accessories. Be sure to read the information on pages 7-9 that tell you all about flannel and appliqué.
"Sunny Days" is a happy quilt with flowers scattered across it.
"Meow & Woof" will appeal to pet lovers.
And who can resist those cute Wool Pincushions? A fast make-and-take pincushion class is sure to be a hit!
Always pre-wash flannel. It will appliqué more easily, with less fraying.
Try the marking pencils we recommend. Because flannel is fuzzy, it marks differently than regular cotton fabric.
Appliqué stitches may be a little bit bigger because the flannel is bulky. However, stitches hide better because they sink into the loftier flannel.
Flannel is thicker so points will be a little bit rounded. But flannel is soft and cuddly to the touch - softer points look better than harsh points.
Permanent gel pen to draw the pupils in the eyes of the dogs and cats in "Meow & Woof"
Some students don't make it to class with all of their supplies. Your class will go more smoothly if you have these items. If you supply laminate and vinyl, know how much you are going to charge your students for these items in advance.
If you are teaching a pattern that needs to be enlarged, it is better to make the enlarged copies for your students. This ensures that everyone has what she needs. However, each student must buy a copy of the book before you can give them a copy of the block for class.
We always give our students a packet with a couple of the needles that we prefer, a few 1/2" pins to try, and a round wooden toothpick to use in turning points and curves. That way we know that everybody starts out with the key tools for appliqué.
We bring several spools of appliqué thread in a variety of colors, so students can see what a difference good thread makes.
The emphasis of this beginning/intermediate class is to teach the basics of hand appliquéing flannel while working on the flower block #6. You will work on a variety of hand appliqué techniques while perfecting your invisible stitch.
Class sample: If you don't have time to make the whole quilt, make Sunny Days Flower Block #6 in the 9" x 9" size. The more flower blocks you can make, the better your display will be.
Prepare the pattern for class: Make 3 copies of the block per student to use to make templates (page 63).
Background fabric: Cut 1 square 11" x 11" for the background.
Scraps of fabric for the appliqué.
Make the positioning overlay (pages 65-66). The flowers are randomly placed on the block so there are no horizontal or vertical center lines. Be sure to keep the flower inside the seam lines of the block.
We recommend that you cut wool kits for each pincushion before class. The Sushi Roll Pincushion requires very little hand sewing and is fun to embellish. The Volcano Pincushion has a little more hand sewing, but is too cute to skip.
Class sample: Make one or more of each pincushion in happy, coordinated colors.
Wool strips cut as directed on page 21.
Cut wool if it is not pre-cut for class (page 21).
Demonstrate how to roll the strips to make the sushi rolls (page 21).
Sew the roll closed (page 21).
Wool volcano and lava strips cut as directed on page 17.
Make template if wool is not pre-cut for class (pages 62-63).
Cut wool if it is not pre-cut for class (page 17).
Sew the sides of the volcano (page 17).
Weight with rice and stuff with polyester stuffing (page 17).
Attach the "lava" strips and sew the volcano closed (page 17).
Add button embellishments (page 17).
Class #3: "Meow & Woof"
Fuzzy flannel pets - they are just too cute! The emphasis of this beginning/intermediate class is to teach the basics of hand appliquéing flannel while working on either a dog or cat block. You will work on a variety of hand appliqué techniques while perfecting your invisible stitch.
Class sample: It is easier if the class works on the same block. Decide if you want to work on a dog or cat block. We suggest either Woof Block #2 or Meow Block #3. If you don't have time to make the quilt, make up a class block. Make more blocks as you have time.
Prepare the pattern for class: Choose the pattern you want to work on in class. These blocks must be enlarged 200% to fit the quilt in the book. Make a copy of the pattern for each student to use in class.
Make 4 more copies of the block per student to use to make templates (page 63).
Make the positioning overlay (pages 65-66).
You will probably need to work on shapes out of sequence in order to teach all of the techniques.