I am tired of hearing “I don’t appliqué”. In my experience those who say this fall into these categories:
- Those who have never tried appliqué assume it is hard and impossible for them to accomplish.
- Those who have tried appliqué (usually needle-turn) and hate it.
- Those who love geometry.
I can fix the first two categories with a fun class in raw-edge or turned edge appliqué with glue. These methods are simple and fast. The last category of non-appliquérs is impossible for me, as a teacher, to fix. Some of the best quilters are attracted by squares and triangles all neatly lined up. Sometimes they find it therapeutic to precisely control the perfect points and matched seams. It brings a sense of order and accomplishment. Quilting is one of the very few artistic fields where geometric perfection is rewarded. As we develop our “voice” in the world of quilting we realize that there is a vast world of quilt looks that are not within our abilities or interests. Perhaps quilting is the art form with the most tolerance for variety. I think this world of variety is wonderful.
