I bought the Homespun magazine (not the current one but the previous issue) because it came with Inspired Machine Applique with Michele Hill DVD.  I love doing applique, but I’ve never worked out the best way of attaching my shapes to the background fabric.

Michele’s (she’s the one on the left in the image) quilts are amazing; complex with lots of intricate looking shapes.

Here she is laying out her pieces …

She had quite a simple technique (probably hard when you try it yourself). She copied the design onto applique paper which she then ironed onto the wrong side of the fabric. Cut the shapes out (this is probably a bit tricky), removed the paper and ironed them onto the backing fabric.

She then stitched around the pieces using a blanket stitch an embroidery sewing thread (she prefers rayon).

She has a great method for stitching points – she simply stitches across the points.

I should point out that she would normally use a matching thread (she used the white to make it easier to see).

Michele had a really personable style and a really relaxed approach to the process. If you are at all interested in applique, I would recommend seeing this DVD.

Michele has her own blog and a couple of books.

I received my Inspirations magazine – the above is Nettie Morris’s Washing Day. It’s a thread painting …

Imagine the time and effort involved. I’m amazed …

I like it and I would like to try to replicate it with machine embroidery (my hand embroidery is hopeless …).

Here’s part of a wing that I’ve been working on in Thred.

It still needs a bit of work and it will be quite a drawn out process (not as long as doing it by hand though)

And another wing …

I’ve also changed the angle of the fill slightly.

This is one of my favourite magazines – I have yet to make anything from it, but the pictures are beautiful.

and

I doubt I’ll ever make anything like these (and certainly not by hand), but they’re beautiful and certainly inspiring.