Fuss-Free Machine Applique: Sew on the Line for Great Results
Lori Buhler's title promises to take the hard work out of applique by using a technique with interfacing and a sewing machine. Her work is undoubtedly beautiful and the results are very effective. You can make applique blocks featuring complex looking curves without intricate piecing and the overall feel is of a beautiful folk art quilt that has been completed in a reasonable time-frame. All the projects are reasonably large quilts and although there are only twelve projects in the book, it is quality not quantity that makes this book a winner. But that is not to say you need meters and meters of fabric to complete them, many of the projects are beautifully scrappy ones that are perfect for putting your stash to use. For me, "Garden Swirls," "Woven Daisies," "All That Jazz" and the unusually named "Old Fashioned" (it looks modern!) appeal the most. A great book for those who want instant gratification and a large project rolled into one. --Popular PatchworkMagazineThe technique of stitching appliqué shapes to interfacing, then turning them inside out before appliquéing them to a background fabric is not new. Author Lori Buhler doesn't claim to have created it. Given how much easier it is to achieve brilliant results compared to other methods, it does seem odd that it hasn't attracted more attention. Lori, like a lot of other quilt makers, has always admired beautiful appliqué quilts, but was a little overwhelmed by the work involved in making them. When she was introduced to the interfacing technique -- also known as "double appliqué" -- she realized that it gave her a means of enjoying appliqué with a lot less effort. Lori wants to spread the word. In this book, she provides step-by-stem instructions for the method (based on machining, although it could also be done by hand) and instructions for 12 projects in a range of styles, from traditional to modern. Many of them look intricate and complex, but with the interfacing technique can be successfully undertaken by most quiltmakers. --Australian Homespun Magazine