Tuesday 4 August 2015

About That Lipstick...

First you need an idea. Then you need a sketch. Or several sketches til you get it just right. I thought my first lips looked a bit like a weird bat of some strange sort so I tried again. And again.


Then you need some spray adhesive to put down that first applique, it keeps the stiffness down to a minimum. I hold the piece down in my waste paper basket to contain the mess of overspray. I personally hate the feel of fusible webbing...it's just like cardboard when you get a lot of layers. Stitch around the lips with a small tight satin stitch through a heavy stabilizer. I never applique without a stabilizer of some sort...it's a little rule of mine. Imagine. I've admitted it: I have rules!



Then you trace your letters in reverse on fusible web, cut em out and press them on. Here I used Steam A Seam Lite which was not terribly stiff and did a good job at holding those little letters in place. Lot's of intricate stitching gets the job done...stitch, pivot, stitch pivot...minutes seem like hours. Thank God for that little Pfaff 4.2 QE feature that lifts the foot every time you ease up on the pedal...that's a brilliant idea! Who ever the genius was that came up with that idea deserves a medal!


The worst part is pulling off the stabilizer. I hate this part. Just like in paper piecing, you've gotta get that stuff off. Painstakingly slow, but applique without it isn't easy or peazy.


 A quick press and we're ready for a smooch!


Linking up with Lorna over at Let's Bee Social! 

11 comments:

  1. Yeah!!! It's awesome. Just so you know....my block will not look that impressive.

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  2. Still trying to figure out where to find letters. Did I presume the background d had to be black? I may spend another afternoon staring at the computer trying to magically produce letters.

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  3. Okay... Talk to me about stabilizer. What kind? How heavy? And satin stitch. Which stitch us that on our machines? Do you leave it as the standard setting or tweak (not twerk) it? So needy... appliqué scares me!

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  4. Love it!! Will you be taking blocks any later than the end of August? After seeing how much shipping to Canada is *faints*, I'm hoping to make more blocks if possible. It seems silly to pay so much to send one little block, you know?

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  5. Is this a Kona block? Very cool!

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  6. Oh my goodness...your lips are stunning...giggle..what a great idea!

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  7. Try Misty Fuse. It doesn't change the hand of the fabric at all. I have been fusing long before it was popular and over the years have tried all the fusible webs. Although I still use Wonder Under a lot (depending on the results I am looking for), Misty Fuse is the best of them all. Love your lips!

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  8. Adorable lips! And thanks for the stitching hints--not much of an applique person, so every little tip helps out.

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