I've used water soluble stabilizer for years. I found it very useful for making three-dimensional applique shapes and actually demonstrate how to use it in my Picturesque 3-D Scene workshop.
Recently I discovered printable water soluble stabilizer which made things so much easier! It is so easy to use this to embroider or quilt my BOW flower blocks since they all have layout designs inside the pattern pages.
So today I have decided to show you how easy it is to create a quilted version of my Sunflower block using printable water soluble stabilizer. Here's what my applique block looks like....
First I use the layout guide on page 8 of the pattern and print it directly onto the stabilizer. My stabilizer also has a sticky backing which really helps keep it in place!
After it is printed, I trim off the excess around the design.
Then after pulling off the paper backing, press it to my background fabric. This is a great opportunity to use some variegated threads, something I don't use when appliqueing.
Now onto free-motion quilting....
In no time at all, my quilted block is completed.
After all the threads are trimmed off, I simply run it under cold water and watch the stabilizer disappear.
That is the wet version, it will look even better when it is dry!
You can also do this with hand embroidery. Actually, I've decided to update this Sunflower pattern to include both free-motion quilting and hand embroidery plus hand applique... and my VIQ members get the new version with a 25% discount when using the code "sunflowerextended". Not a VIQ member? Sign up for free first, then use the code to get the discount: VIQ membership
You can download the pattern here: Sunflower BOW block
