Tuesday Tip - Applique the McKenna Ryan Way

Pacific Fabrics Blog

Tuesday Tip - Applique the McKenna Ryan Way

Posted by pacificfabrics on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Home Tweet Home by McKenna Ryan

Ellen, an extraordinary quilter who works & teaches at our Everett store, stitches up gorgeous McKenna Ryan quilts that we all covet! The picture above is Home Tweet Home, one of McKenna's newest designs. So new that Ellen hasn't made one yet! So that you can make gorgeous quilts, too, I asked Ellen to share a few hints with us.

Lite Steam-A-Seam 2

Ellen loves Steam-a-Seam Paper Backed Fusible Web for this kind of easy applique. Here's how it works:

1. Trace your applique designs from the patterns onto the paper side of the web.
2. Peel off the back paper leaving your traced design on the top.
3. Place the design sticky side down onto the wrong side of your chosen fabric and cut out the design from your fabric.
4. Peel off the top paper and place it onto your backing fabric before fusing.

And, of course, Ellen has a superb tip to make it even easier for you!

1. Use Bear Threads' Applique Pressing Sheet to lay over the finished design from the pattern. You will be able to see through the pressing sheet.
2. Stick all your small applique pieces in place like a puzle.
3. When your design is in place, fuse the whole design to the pressing sheet with your iron.
4. When it is cool, peel the design 'puzzle' up from the pressing sheet. All the small pieces are now fused together and ready for you to fuse down to your background fabric in one large applique!

If you would like some hands-on, in person help while you're learning the art of fusible applique, check out our Applique the McKenna Ryan Way classes at Everett with Ellen or at Bellevue with Cheryl!

~ Crafty Chris from Creative U