Wednesday, January 21, 2009

B-12

We're just doing a little bit of easy reverse applique today. For a refresher on this technique, have a look at block C-9 again.

This is one of those blocks where the book and the CD differ. The pattern on the CD is much more like Jane's block and also much easier to reverse applique.
If you don't have the CD, I recommend that you amend the pattern to resemble Jane's block because the one in the book would be very hard to use this technique on.
Don't panic. All you have to do is amend the melons a bit. Keep their width at their widest point the same, but bring the points in a little, making the melon shorter and, relatively speaking, fatter.
The photos should help.

Cut one 6" square from your background (light) fabric.
Cut one 6" square from your main fabric.
Print or trace the block diagram onto the dull side of freezer paper and cut out the block, as well as the inside of the melons and center shape.
Using a warm dry iron, iron the freezer paper template onto the right side of your main fabric.

Cut the inside of the shapes out of the fabric leaving approximately 1/8" as a seam allowance. Clip the concave curves - these would be the melons' curves.
In the corners of shapes, clip the fabric to within 3 or 4 threads of the corner.
Place the main fabric square on top of the background fabric square and baste everything together. Be careful not to baste into the seam allowances where you're going to want to turn the fabric under when you applique.
I have found that placing the fabric onto a table when basting helps keep everything smooth.

Using the reverse applique technique described in blocks C-9, A-7, and B-1, complete the block. I appliqued the center shape first and then the melons diagonally from each other.
Trim the block to 5" making sure the shapes are in the center of the block.

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