This week's post on Outside the Box: Quilt Appliques

Quilt Appliques using Dies

After playing with paper for a number of years, I recently began to experiment with fabric.  This fall I joined the Tacoma Lakes Quilters, a local chapter of the Maine Pine Tree Quilters Guild.  The first week in December the group held a cutting party.  Four women brought their Accuquilt Go-Cutters and dies and I brought my Big Kick with a bunch of Memory Box and Poppy Stamps dies.  What a blast we had!  We spent several hours cutting out numerous shapes from a variety of fabrics and felt for TLQ members to use for appliques on their quilt projects.  Unfortunately I was sooo busy that I didn't take one picture!  And the women took most of the pieces home, so I have only a few samples left to show which were cut from felt.

These are some of the dies we used from MEMORY BOX:

• 98394  Lady Dancing
• 98525  Thread Spools
• 98344  Marshmallow Clouds
• 98172  Puffy Clouds
• 98689  Mini Clouds
• 98296  Petite Umbrella
• 98427  Secret Squirrel
• 98491  Honey Bee Skep
• 98392  Classic Pear
• 98160  Perched Reed Bird
• 98340  Forest Bird
• 98339  Meadow Bird
• 98166  Deer Trio
• 98425  Flying Goose
• 98594  Village House
• 98313  Tender Leaves
• 98406  Fresh Leaves
• 98511  Fabulous Phlox
• 98149  Primula Blooms
• 98510  Lovely Aster
• 98254  Grand Heart
• 98281  Cupid Heart
• 98668  Frosted Christmas Tree
• 98664  Toasty Mitten
• 98416  Eyelet Stocking
• 98211  Classic Ornament

These are some of the dies we used from Poppystamps:

• 815  Grand Madison Window
• 816  Small Madison Window
• 861  Blooming Poinsettia
• 841  Serene Bird
• 879  Labrador
• 860  Sitting Cat
• 872  Curious Cat
• 859  Walking Cat
• 874  Large Curious Cat
• 871  Large Sitting Cat
• 876  Pouncing Cat
• 875  Large Pouncing Cat
• 873  Large Walking Cat

I couldn't believe how beautifully these dies cut felt and fabric!  I did use a metal adapter plate with my regular "sandwich" which produced really crisp cuts.  Some of the women had pre-treated their fabrics with Heat and Bond or some other fusible material for a stiffer fabric which they could then iron on to their projects.  The most popular dies?  98166 Deer Trio; 98668 Frosted Christmas Tree; 98664 Toasty Mitten; and all of the Memory Box and Poppystamp birds.  Some of these are going to end up on fabric Christmas cards.  Some are going into this year's challenge quilts.  For others, I'll just have to wait and see where they pop up.  I can't wait to see the finished projects!!!

Happy Crafting!