TIny Tuesday #17

I wanted to try something a little different today.  I actually needed to do something involving handwork as my quilting supplies seem to have gone into hiding.  Moving houses is so confusing!  Instead of doing normal applique in which a shape is sewn onto background fabric, we are doing the reverse.  Background fabric will be sewn onto the top of the focus fabric, framing it decoratively.  You could do regular applique if you prefer, but it is fun to try new things from time to time. 

You will need to print out a copy of the heart template.  You may print it directly onto freezer paper or print it out on regular paper and trace it onto freezer paper.  Trim the freezer paper to 5 inches square, which is the unfinished size of the block.

I chose to trace mine.  It seemed easier given that I could not find my rotary cutter anywhere.  Things are getting harder to find each week that the house is on the market.

We are doing reverse applique this week rather than traditional applique.  The background is sewn onto the top of the applique shape, giving it a framed look.  This is a nice technique if you are using a pieced fabric.  I think crumb fabrics would look great framed out in reverse applique hearts.  So cut away the center of the heart, leaving a freezer paper outline.  Iron this to the front of your background fabric which should be just every so slightly larger than 5 inches to allow you a bit of room for possible frayed edges during the sewing process.

In order to prepare the edges of the background fabric, clip the curves and begin to fold back the seam allowance.  You can iron the crease or use a tiny bit of glue stick to hold it down temporarily.

Continue to fold back the seam allowance all the way around the background fabric until you have a lovely heart shaped frame.

Now for the fun part!  Use that frame to find a nice fancy piece of beautifully patterned teal fabric and strategically place your background fabric to highlight its special features.  You may either pin the fabrics together temporarily or use a tiny bit of glue to hold the fabrics together for now.  Trim away excess heart fabric around the back.

Now just use a blind hem stitch to sew the two fabrics together.  You could also do it by machine of course, or even use a decorative blanket stitch.  So many great options in the world of applique.