Several Inklingo quilters asked for an Inklingo Shape Collection for Joseph’s Coat, and I can understand why!

• It is beautiful
• It is unusual.
• It is great for using up scraps and “shopping your stash.”
• It is easier with the cutting and stitching lines printed on the fabric with Inklingo.
• It can be machine pieced with Inklingo.
• It can be hand pieced with Inklingo.
• It can be back-basted with Inklingo (needleturn appliqué).
• It can be appliquéed with freezer paper templates (aka “the hard way”) with Inklingo.

JELLY ROLLS!

SCRAPS!

FUSSY CUTTING!

The new shape collection makes 12 inch blocks, so the melons can be printed on Jelly Rolls and small scraps. How cool is that?! I think I know someone who might fussy cut the background or the melons, or both! (You know who you are.)

My first choice is hand piecing on the front porch (no surprise), but these curves are so gentle they are almost like straight seams. You don’t even need to clip! Anyone can sew these curves by machine. They are easy.

JOSEPH’S HAT COAT  (Monkey may have misunderstood.)

This  is traditionally a scrappy quilt, inspired by the Bible story about Joseph’s “coat of many colors.”

In the Bible, Joseph’s Coat was a source of envy. If you make this quilt for yourself with Inklingo, you won’t have to envy anyone.

Joseph’s Coat is an old design. It is 421-2 in Jinny Beyer’s Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns (my quilting bible). This design was published with several different names in the 1930s. You might see similar designs called Ace of Diamonds, Banana, Orange Ring, Peeled Orange, Tea Leaves, or Queen’s Choice.

When circles are added, Joseph’s Coat is called Morning Glory (Beyer 421-3). There are several sizes of circles available in other Inklingo Shape Collections.

HAND. . . OR . . .  MACHINE . . .  OR . . .  APPLIQUÉ

You can sew these gentle curves by hand or by machine. I prefer to piece this design. . .

. . . but some quilters prefer appliqué, so this shape collection also includes a back-basting layout to print on fabric, and shapes without seam allowances to print on freezer paper for appliqué templates.

Whichever method you choose, it is easy when you print with Inklingo.

In addition to the shapes to print, this download includes:

• tips for selecting fabric
• how to sew the curves by hand or by machine
• how to press for perfect results (surprising method!)
• yardage estimates
• worksheets and design ideas

If you piece this design with Inklingo—hand OR machine—you will LOVE the way it presses. It’s like a miracle from heaven, especially considering how many seams converge in the middle. I think you will be surprised by my recommendation this time.

I love this design and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Linda & Monkey

PS Don’t forget to enter Tilde’s 15 Minute Challenge . You could win in the next draw on June 30!

New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares  in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.

Layered back-basting is explained and illustrated in The Inklingo Handbook.

Has anyone seen what is now called “back-basting” or “template-free” appliqué described in older sewing books, patterns, or newspapers, or with another name?  Since Canada is such a melting pot of cultures, it could have come from anywhere.  Just curious. 

Garbage Eve or Charm-Free

Like most families, ours has a few pet terms.  Two of my favs are “Garbage Eve” and “charm-free.” Charm-free is a pseudo-diplomatic way to describe an unpleasant, self-centered person–which every group seems to have. 

Please let me know if you have heard about “back-basting” called something other than “template-free.”  Calling anything “xxxxxx-free” has a negative connotation for me, so I don’t think I want to refer to such a nice technique that way.    

Pseudo, serendipity, and esoteric are all nice too, but the opportunities to use them are sadly limited, especially with sewing techniques. Maybe another time.

Linda & Monkey

PS  Garbage Eve is the night before garbage pickup, when Someone has to go out to the garage and get it ready.

Back-basting overcomes the disadvantages of traditional needle-turn appliqué, and it is simpler than some imagine, so Monkey and I have prepared this little summary.

Traditional Needle-turn 

Let’s review traditional needle-turn first.

Trace the outline of the patch—a heart, for example—onto the front side of a fabric patch (or print with Inklingo). Cut out the heart, leaving a narrow turn-under allowance. Pin it in position on the background and and turn the edges under with the needle, a little bit at a time, so you can make invisible stitches to attach the heart to the background.

Advantage: The  preparation is faster than template methods.
Disadvantages:  It is more difficult to accurately position because each heart is bigger than its space since the edge is not yet turned under. It can be hard to see the outline of the heart, especially on dark patches. It can be tricky to use the needle to turn the fabric edge under accurately and make invisible stitches at the same time.

Back-basting

Back-basting is a variation of the needle-turn method, and overcomes the disadvantages. It is my favorite method.

1. Instead of tracing the outline of the heart on the front of the appliqué fabric, trace the entire design (or print with Inklingo) on the back of the background fabric.

2. Postion a rough-cut patch right side up on the front.  To ensure that the fabric completely covers the outline of the heart, cut it big and hold the background up to the light, or place pins from the back as a guide.

3. Working from the back, baste the patch to the background (hence the name “back-basting”), following the outline of the heart, using a big needle and thick thread.

4. Working from the front, trim the rough-cut fabric patch, leaving a narrow turn-under allowance.

5. Working from the front, clip and remove the basting stitches one small section at a time— just enough to allow you to needle-turn and stitch the next half inch or so. Use invisible stitches.

How Back-basting Works

Basting with a big needle and thick thread along the line on the back holds everything in perfect position and marks the edge of the patch!

Holes in the background and the patch

When the thick basting thread is clipped and removed from the front, one small section at a time, the line of temporary holes is a visual guide and temporarily “perforates” the edge, so it is easier to needle-turn accurately and stitch in place.

Appliqué with Inklingo

Inklingo has advantages with all appliqué methods, whether you are printing on freezer paper for templates or printing shapes on the patch fabric or on the background.

There is a complete chapter on appliqué in The Inklingo Handbook, including illustrated instructions for back-basting layered designs, stitching direction, needles, thread, invisible stitches (tack stitch and ladder stitch), inner points, outer points, etc.

If you like needle-turn appliqué, you will LOVE back-basting, especially since it eliminates all positioning issues.

If you have found traditional needle-turn appliqué difficult, it is time for you to try back-basting. Back-basting makes it easier to position the patches and to turn under the edges accurately. You will be amazed by the difference it makes, and I think you will understand why this old technique has become popular again.

You can subscribe to receive an e-mail whenever there is a new entry at All About Inklingo from the sidebar. Thank you for visiting.

Linda & Monkey