Meet Aunt Mimi (aka. Elsie Campbell) and her beautiful applique quilt as she takes you step by step through the process instilling calm and confidence along the way.
Visit Elsie Campbell’s Flower Garden Applique Online Class at iquilt.com
In Lesson One, Elsie not only introduces us to her gentle manner and assuring tone, but also shares the challenges she faced in creating this masterpiece and promises all the tips and solutions for success.
“Slow down, take it easy, and enjoy the process,” is Elsie’s invitation.
Right off, she gets us started with template making and prepping freezer paper in Lesson Two.
But in Lesson Three, she lets us get a close-up look at the stickiest part of the process: getting the edges just right as they are glued to the freezer paper.
For me, this is the hardest part of learning this technique. Left to my own devices I’m very quickly covered in glue with everything sticking to me everywhere except the seam allowance to the freezer paper. I turn into such a sticky mess I’m quickly reduced to muttering unflattering insults at dainty applique flower pieces stuck in my hair! When I watched Elsie poke down that first seam allowance and it popped right back up, stuck its tongue out and waggled its hind end in defiance I let out a knowing laugh. But then a magical thing happened, in her calm and persistent manner, she kept poking – and it stuck! Not only did it stick, but she goes through each shape and shows how to get the edges just so, so everything is perfect from the front of the applique piece. Then Elsie goes through the machine set up, explains the best feet options, and offers tips for getting everything sewn in place.
In Lesson Four, she untangles the mess of skinny bias strips like a snake charmer!
By Lesson Five she has things coming together with patience and precision. It really is like sitting with the most patient quilting friend on the planet who will show me all the little things I need to understand. No steps skipped here!
After all this, I want the borders to be as amazing as the rest of the quilt, and the detailed constructions steps Elsie lays out in Lesson Six provide just that! Even if I don’t make this quilt, what I’ve learned from watching her put this quilt together will make all my future quilts better.
But it’s not finished until it’s finished and Elsie takes us to the last stitch. With close ups and detailed sewing machine set up demonstrations and techniques, the scalloped edge and piped bias binding become a real possible conclusion for me!
What an amazing class and a real treat to watch. I can’t wait to watch it again…and again!
Visit Elsie at iquilt.com today to sign up for the class!
