Purebred by Moda came in a few short weeks ago and with it the cutest laser cut, fusible horse appliques that I have been dying to play with! But what to make? There were so many ideas floating in my head!
Jean jacket back?
Pillow front?
Quilt ( duh!)?
Lampshade?
Tote bag?
But in the end I ran into these amazing coral color bath towels that were such a perfect shade that I could not say no to the idea of an embossed looking applique which makes this towel set an amazing gift!
First job was washing and drying the towels since towels shrink upwards 20% and you want to get that shrinkage out of the way before doing anything. So wash and dry on hot and then let’s get to work.
Just like applique on any other base, you are going to need a hot iron and a firm surface.
In the case of these laser-cuts you will need to remove the backing. I find slitting it with a pin to be the fastest and most effective method ( yes, I know there are others, use the one that brings you joy)
After removing the backing, position the horses and then use a hot iron to stick to the surface. – Easy!
Next up it is time to stitch down the horses since no matter what the package says I have NEVER found a fusible that holds up to much washing and you want this gift to hold up!
I choose to use free motion zig-zag for my applique method of choice. I find it has a more organic and relaxed look that fits my style better than a heavy satin stitch or even a buttonhole stitch.
Free motion zig-zag is done pretty much like regular free motion quilting with a few IMPORTANT differences ( check those out and heed my words of caution)
THE SAME:
Dropping your feed dogs
Pulling up your bobbin thread before you start
Moving at a steady pace, matching correct pace to stitch speed.
DIFFERENT:
With using a zig-zag stitch you must be careful with the foot you use making sure that the opening can accommodate the width of stitch you choose.
I choose to use a foot with a wide slot that gives me the option of using the full width of my 9mm opening but no matter which free motion foot you use make sure that you are in the clear by first testing by turning the fly-wheel by hand for a total stitch completion to make sure that you will not hit the foot you have chosen.
After that you proceed with your stitching just like you would do with most any free motion project.
For the horses I did use monofilament on top and cotton thread in the bobbin.
Ready to saddle up and give this project a try? You can find the horse precuts* here but of course you can always use any other motif you cut by hand or with something like the Brother Scan and Cut II (hint- hint of something fun coming to SPOOL- you know we love our toys!)
*The horse precut pack has enough horses to do two full towel sets depending on how you set the horses.
