Appliqué Berries Tutorial

This is my first ever tutorial so please be gentle with me! I also need to say that this ISN’T my own idea. At my local Patchwork Club we had a guest speaker one night who is well know in needle turn appliqué circles Gail Chalker, she told us how she accomplished her neat, even and enjoyable circles. I remember thinking at the time, “well I won’t ever need to know that technique!”

Then came along the Tisket a Tasket BOM from Bunny hill Designs and my journey into needle turn appliqué took an interesting turn. After a few blocks I discovered Back Basting on several different blogs, it introduced me to a whole new world of appliqué that got me sitting down stitching faster than any other technique I have seen to date.

I still wasn’t sure I would ever need the circle technique that was until the final block, I did contemplate satin stitching the berries, but thought “what the heck, I’ll give it a go!” Here is how I did the berries on this particular block. As you can see, they are uniform and very circle like! This is why. Using adhesive reinforcement rings adhered to the wrong side of the fabric. Cut out around the ring leaving a scant 1/4 seam allowance. Finger press on one side of seam allowance all the way to the reinforcement ring. Begin with a knot in the thread and coming up from the wrong side begin appliquéing the berry into place. Using the side of the needle turn the seam allowance under all the way to the reinforcement ring. When you have almost gone the whole way around, use the needle to continue folding the seam allowance all the way to the reinforcement ring, distributing the fabric to keeping the circle uniform, with no, pointy or blunt edges. The final stitch secures the fabric circle and you are done. No need to remove the reinforcement ring, it adds very little in the way of bulk or hindrance to future quilting.

I hope this tutorial is helpful.

thanks for visiting,