For invisible machine applique, the usual process involves tracing your design onto a lightweight piece of sew-in interfacing, (remembering to reverse the design where necessary), stitching it to the fabric, then cutting a small opening in the interfacing to turn the applique right-side out. You smooth out the design using a turning tool/point turner, then give the applique a good press.  A spritz of ironing spray also helps with crisp applique shapes. The applique is then glue basted to the background, lightly touched with an iron and allowed to set for a few minutes.  Then, the design is stitched down using a narrow zig zag and invisible thread.

Applique stitching particulars:

• Thread:  Monopoly clear from Superior (loosen top tension to 2.5)
• Bobbin Thread:  Any 60wt polyester will work
• Needle:  70/10 Topstitch needle
• Stitch:  Zig Zag 1.5 wide x 1.0 long (some folks recommend 1.0 x 1.0 for stitch settings – test your machine to see what you like best).
• Foot:  Open toe
• Needle stop DOWN if available

For glue basting, investing in a bottle with a micro tip is well worth the money. I bought a bottle of Appli-Glue with the micro-precision tip that allowed me to twist on a different cap for travel.  The glue part of the product works well, but I’ll probably refill it with good old Elmer’s washable school glue once it runs out.

Preparing appliques:

Use a fine point mechanical pencil for tracing designs (.5 lead size)
Test a variety of sheer and light-weight sew-in interfacing to see which one you prefer. I tried Pellon 905, 910 and the Lori Holt versions.  Personally, I prefer Pellon 830, which is marketed as pattern tracing cloth. It’s a poly/vicose blend that feels similar to Lori Holt’s product, but is a little bit lighter weight.

Hubby’s surgery at MD Anderson was a success.  It was a long 10 days and I am SEW glad I brought a sewing machine and project to work on while we were there.  May I share some of what I learned from my experience?  These recommendations are based on staying at a hotel for an extended time (not attending a sewing retreat).

1. If at all possible, take a sewing machine – preferably a computerized 3/4 size sewing machine like a Janome Jem 720/760, Elna STAR or Handi Stitch 210 (from HandiQuilter).  These are all essentially the same machine made by Janome.  It fits perfectly in a Travelon underseat rolling tote, so you can carry it on the plane.  Remove the needle, place a piece of foam in the bottom of the bag and set the machine on top of it.  Tuck fabric, batting and/or your sewing mat around the machine to protect it even more.  A Janome Jem Gold 660 or a Singer Featherweight are also options, but it really depends on the type of project you plan to do. I took an Elna STAR with me. I REALLY appreciated the needle down and adjustable zigzag.
2. Unless your project is completely precut, take a folding 18″x24″ mat with you.
3. Take a portable Ott/Daylight or similar lamp with you, along with a 6′ extension cord.
4. If possible, take your extended sewing table (or get a Sew Steady acrylic table for your machine).
5. Pack your rotary cutter plus an extra blade.
6. Pack only your go-to rulers – (for me:  5″x15″, 6-1/2″ square and 2-1/2″x6″-1/2″)
7. Karen K. Buckley Perfect Scissors are wonderful!  I took the lime green and turquoise sizes with me.
8. Leave the iron and ironing mat at home – the hotel has an ironing board and iron.  But do pack a small bottle of ironing spray, a couple sheets of parchment paper and a travel size lint roller.
9. Pack all project specific items – pattern, templates, interfacing, marking pencils, etc. in a ziplock bag.  Fabric, too!
10. Essential sewing supplies – and only you know what those will be. If in doubt, leave it out. You can always buy one when you get there.

Things I really wished I’d brought with me:  wooden chopstick or skewer, hand sewing needles/thimble, pretty magnetic bowl and a “trash” bag (fabric or paper bag/tape).

Any must-haves that you would add to this list?

About a month ago, my world was rocked when my husband was diagnosed with a very rare form of thyroid cancer.  We were immediately dispatched to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for further evaluation. We knew the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes surrounding the thyroid on his right side.  What worried us was a suspect lesion on his lung that appeared on the CT scan done locally. The battery of tests conducted that long week spent in Houston for evaluation concluded that the cancer had NOT spread.

That’s good news since the only protocol for this type of cancer is removal by surgery. There’s no chemo or radiation afterwards. Hubs will be under the knife for several hours as Dr. Z. and his team work their magic. Hubs will come away with a nice, long scar as his souvenir.  My fervent hope is that the surgical team gets ALL the cancer and there are no surprises during surgery.  I sincerely hope hubby heals quickly and with minimal pain. Well, the previous sentence is for me, too, as I will be the one with him in Houston for those two weeks.

Yes, I’m packing my Janome Jem Gold 660 and Granny’s Garden (a Lori Holt sew-a-long) project to work on while I’m there.  [Ideally, I’d bring a Featherweight, but I need a zigzag stitch for applique.]  Others in similar circumstances actually encouraged me to bring a machine or pick up an inexpensive one at Wal-Mart once we got to Houston. It will give me something to do either in the hotel suite or in the community room (we’re staying at a property adjacent to the medical center). Handwork can be saved for time spent waiting in the doctor’s office.

We’re on Fall Break this week. I’ve spent time outfitting the Janome with accessories I might need and sourcing fabrics/tools/templates for the quilt. Tomorrow, I will make the first block – all the way from start to finish. Lori Holt suggests that you precut everything and put it in baggies before you begin to sew. No time for that. I might try to precut parts for the next 5 blocks and bring the rest of the fabric with me.  I plan to use a low sheen, invisible poly thread for the inner appliques and white thread to stitch down the large circles to the background squares. I don’t have room in the suitcase for multiple spools of thread to match each applique piece. I need to find my notes from the invisible applique class I took with Jan Cunningham!