THE most important tip for appliqueing letters!

When you’re working with appliqued letters, if you forget to do this, I guarantee you will screw it up.

 

Jeeze! What a way to start a blog post.

Well, it’s the truth. But relax campers, because I’m about to teach you the first and most important step to appliqueing letters, so that you get it right the first time.

Let me back up by about 16 hours here.  Yesterday afternoon, I was beginning to work on a brand new design. One that contains letters. My favorite applique method is to use Heat ‘n Bond Lite, a fusible web. It’s paper on one side and the fusible stuff (not sure what that stuff is, some sort of heat activated glue, so I’ll just call it “stuff”). The thing to remember with fusible web is that if you want your finished project to look exactly like your pattern, you must reverse it before tracing onto the paper side of the HnB.

Most of the time, I’m not working with letters when I’m designing, so I pay no attention to reversing anything and my finished project ends up as a mirror image of my original sketch. Which suits me just fine. . . . . with 1 exception . . . . letters.

So, yesterday afternoon I traced all the shapes onto HnB for my new design . . . and forgot to REVERSE the letters before tracing them.

This is my original sketch, from which I traced 2 J shapes onto HnB.  See. I traced it just as you see it here.

 . . . . and I still didn’t notice as I cut out my letters, while watching the boob tube last night.

Can you see what’s wrong with these J’s?

In my defense, I was tired and should have just gone to bed, but wanted to get these cut out so I could fuse down all the shapes on my background this morning.

Seeing a brand spankin’ new design all fused on the background and ready for stitchin’, is MY FAVORITE PART. My heart beats a little faster, I physically get excited.

Okay, now fast forward to now. I pulled out my J’s, put on pre-recorded drum roll music, and . . . . .and . . . . . then turned off the drum roll.

Okay Einstein. Now can you see what’s wrong with these J’s?

In case you’re still not smellin’ what I’m dealin’ here, let me tell ya.  They are backwards.

Dangity dang it! Or something like that. But I didn’t say that, however, in the respect of a totally public blog post, I cleaned my language up for ya . . . in case you’re cat is listening.

So. Here it is.

The Most Important Rule in Appliqueing Letters is:

** Reverse your letters **

Before you do anything.   Before you grab the Heat n Bond.   Before you pick up a tracing pencil/pen.

— REVERSE THE LETTERS —

Because if you don’t, you’ll mindlessly cut out your letters while watching reruns of M*A*S*H (my preferred boob tube entertainment) or Golden Girls at 11pm at night, which will seem harmless and relaxing . . .. .

. . . . . . . . . .until you wake up from your fabric induced stuper in the morning and realize what you’ve done.

So, take it from this designer. Don’t forget to reverse any letters.

I wish I could give you a sneek peek of the new design, but I have to go reverse my letters and start over.

Keep your eyes on me though, as I will give ya a peek when I have it all laid out .. . . .. yeah, I’ll let ya share my excitement.