Baltimore Applique Preparation

For my course I am working on two samples using Baltimore Applique.  This type of applique was fashionable in the USA about 150 years ago.  It may look dated to us but the intricacy of the hand stitched pieces is admirable.

 

I have started the first sample using a pattern from a book by Mimi Dietrich called 'Baltimore Blocks for Beginners'.  I find her books very useful as they do take students through the methods in great detail.

 

This type of applique is hand stitched and there is quite a formal style to the patterns but the methods used are traditional and once learned are useful for other interpretations.

 

I have all my hand stitching to do but will put images of the preparation work here as a start and follow this up later on with additional comment when I have the two samples completed.
 

On the left is the pattern I have chosen and on the right is it copied to fabric.  This was done using a light box. There are other methods we can practice in our Sunday quilting sessions.

Pick out a selection of fabrics to use for the applique.


If the shape is repeated, for example the leaves, or is something you may want to use again, then a template cut from plastic is a good idea.

See the bird, leaf and flower shapes here.


Other shapes are cut from freezer paper and then these are ironed on to the back of the fabric, shiny side down.



When cutting out the shapes from your fabric leave a generous 1/4" seam allowance all around. 

Sometimes a fabric may have markings or a print which can be used to enhance the shape you cut out. In this case you can use what is known as 'fussy cutting'. The leaf shape cut from card shown here is an example. Cut a window in some card the shape of the pattern piece and place on your fabric in different positions to see how the markings on the fabric can improve the look of the applique shape. 

Stems are created using bias strips (and here a bias strip maker is useful)  These rosebuds are small squares of fabric folded and later will be hand sewn in position.

Baltimore Applique

Today I have been learning how to do Baltimore Applique which usually involves some dimensional work.  This will fit nicely with a later quilting arts session when we can make some dimensional flowers to incorporate into some of our quilting creations.

 

As the name suggests Baltimore Applique emerged from the USA over a hundred years ago when ladies in Baltimore started to make Baltimore Album Quilts (so called because the quilting blocks reminded them of photo albums with different pictures on each page).

 

No photos yet as I am still at the stage of making templates from freezer paper and sorting out fabric colours.  But it's really interesting and I hope to get some photos on here in the next few days.

 



Welcome to my blog

Started on the 23rd February, please scroll down to see earliest posts.

24th February 2014

Here is a link to Bredon Crafters

Cushion by Annie

Bag by Kay

 

24th February 2014

For the Scrap House Quilt we need a variety of filler blocks as well as the little houses and landscapes we are already doing.  So here are some instructions and photos showing how to make a Friendship Star (appropriate for our new group I think).

Using a 3.5" template (I ironed freezer paper on to my fabric) cut 2 squares of fabric A (orange) and 2 squares of fabric B (dark blue).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, cut them in half diagonally to get 4 right-angled triangles in each fabric. Take one of each colour and join them along the diagonal using a 1/4" seam.  Repeat with the other triangles to produce four 2-colour squares.

   

Press seams to the side and trim off the little corners.  Now use these completed units to cut out some plain squares - one square from fabric B (mine is dark blue) and 4 squares from fabric A (mine is orange).

  

When all your pieces are cut out lay them right side up to see how the Friendship Star will look when you have sewn it together.

  First sew the 3 top squares into a row and then the second and third rows.

Press the seams to the side as shown then join the remaining seams making sure to line up the previous seams so that the star is neat and accurate on the front.

  Trim around the block edges to make a perfect square and save for later to insert into your quilt.











23rd February 2014

Decided a blog might be an idea for our quilting arts group so that photos and methods can be shared and accessed easily when convenient rather than bombarding everyone with emails.  Hope you all agree and will find its content helpful.  I have to learn how to make the best of it first so there will be some trial and error I expect - bear with me please!

 

 

As a start I will show you a fabric covered container I have made as part of my course work assessment.  Then later, once I feel I know what I am doing, I will put some patchwork block methods on here to be tried out as background for our little houses that we have been making.