A quilted spring wall quilt in the making: preparing applique shapes

Yesterday, I introduced you to Gütermann Nostalgia Boxes showcasing a variety of threads which we’ll use for our project, a spring wall quilt! Today we gather our supplies and start preparing the shapes for this fun applique quilt.

Open the PDF file containing the applique letter, flower, and leaf shapes. Print the shapes on sheets of HeatnBond EZ-Print Feather Lite Iron-On Adhesive, following the directions on the package for using the fusible web in your inkjet printer. If you don’t want to print on the fusible web, you can trace the shapes from the PDF file on HeatnBond Featherlite fusible web sheets or on a Featherlite 1yd piece of fusible web.

Preparing the letters for the spring wall quilt

Cut out the paper shapes, leaving about ⅛” around the outside edges.

Spray each of your flower and leaf fabrics with Mary Ellen’s Best Press starch alternative and then press with the Oliso Pro TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron. This removes all the wrinkles from the fabric and gives it a little extra body which makes the cutting easier.

Set your iron to medium heat with no steam. Put the cut-out shape, shiny (fusible) side down, on the wrong side of the fabrics. Place and hold the iron on the paper liner for 2 seconds. Detailed instructions for pressing are on the package of the HeatnBond Featherlite 8½” x 11 sheets,

Cut out each shape on the drawn lines.

Preparing the flowers and leaves for the spring wall quilt

There are several different flower shapes, so you can create your flowers as desired. Here are a few combinations that I made.

Different flower shapes for the spring wall quilt

Now itʼs time to fuse the design shapes on the background fabric. Try several different arrangements of the shapes until you find one you like. There’s no right or wrong here – just create a design that makes you happy! Itʼs a good idea to take a picture of your final design before the shapes are pressed on the background fabric. It makes a good reference when you come to pressing the shapes in place.

Place the letters on the background first. Remove the paper backing from the letters. I like to use a pin or needle to score the paper backing, making it easier to remove. A thin layer of fusible web will remain on the fabric.

Place your background fabric on the ironing board and arrange the letters as desired.

Set your Oliso Pro TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron to medium heat with no steam. Press the letters on the background fabric, holding the iron in place for 6 seconds. Complete directions for fusing the shapes on fabric are on the package of the HeatnBond Featherlite sheets.

Setting your letters on the background fabric

Please join me again tomorrow when I’ll show you how to start stitching the applique shapes for the spring wall quilt.

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Introducing Gütermann thread boxes – Great for multi-colored projects

Go to part 3: Machine applique letters and flowers with HeatnBond: Great for quilting!

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