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How to Make Your Applique Bust Out of Its Frame – video tutorial

Applique block showing a frog using his tongue to catch flies in a neighboring block with an applique horse - text reads How to Make Your Applique Bust Out of Its Frame.

Last week I showed you how to frame your applique with an easy wonky faux sashing technique.

Today I’m going to show you how to make your applique bust out of its frame!

It’s so much fun. 🙂

Here’s the video showing how.

See how easy that is? The hardest part is remembering that those loose bits are there so you don’t accidentally iron them somewhere they don’t belong. 🙂

Here are some more examples of critters busting out of their frames. . .

set of three blocks - each showing a monster made with applique, busting out of its frame
blue monster with orange horns, showing how to make applique bust out of its frame

This is so much fun to do! Here are a few more I’m eager to play with – to make busting out versions. . .

I want to make this moose head bigger so that his antlers encroach into the next blocks. (The moose is a free pattern here.)

I want to make this bunny’s ears twitch into the next block. (That bunny is also a free pattern!)

I want to put this crocodile on a square background block, letting the extra length of his snout flow into the next block. (He’s one of the blocks from the Safari quilt pattern.)

I want this nosy goose (from the Noisy Farm quilt pattern) to poke her beak into the business of her neighbor’s block.

I want to add tall hats (from the Fancy Doodads applique accessories pattern) to all the blocks and let it stretch into the block above.

See? making your applique bust out of its frame is so much fun! The possibilities are endless! I can’t wait to see what you do with this technique!

Find links to all the posts about pattern size and layouts here.

Quilt Sizes and Supplies Needed

Play with Your Layouts – Multiple Possibilities for One Quilt Pattern

Sashing

How to Make Applique Bust Out of Its Frame

Alternate or Broken Grid layouts (adding half and double blocks)

How to Make an Applique Rag Quilt

How to Make a Polaroid Quilt

How to Make a Wonky Churn Dash Frame for Any Block

Finished with this topic?

Return to the Let’s Make a Quilt main Table of Contents.

Move on to the lessons about choosing your fabric.

Happy stitching!

8 COMMENTS

  1. Dottie K SAYS...

    You are just so clever! Thank you so much for sharing your great ideas and techniques! Much much fun. VBG

  2. Jodie H SAYS...

    You are the best teaching and so creative. I am going to start the monster quilt for my grandson’s Christmas present this month. I want to do the wonky blocks and the busting out! I’m exited because I consider myself a seamstress and embroiderer, not a quilter. This will be my first quilt gift.

  3. LG SAYS...

    I love the frog busting out to get the fly! My question is, how would you avoid stitching over the tongue when attaching the backing? Your tutorials are extremely helpful and easy to follow. Thank you Wendi!

  4. Geo G. SAYS...

    Your Shinyhappyworld brings such simple JOY to our world, not only for our projects but it allows us to “share” Joy with our family and friends. I love the New Colby Cat and the Madison Meerkat is adorable as are MANY of your patterns, including Milton Monkey and the different Bears etc. !. Currently I am working on the Violet doll using the Sticky Fabri-Solvy for the hair and trying to figure out how and what to use to keep the hand embroidery needle from getting sticky from the adhesive backing stabilizer. What size needle do you use and how long is it?? I find that the thinner needles go through the Self-adhesive Fabri-Solvy but you have to make sure the eye of the needle is large enough for the yarn or thread detailing the hair. Thank you for all your creative Happy sharing with us ! GG

    • There’s a product called Thread Magic that completely eliminates all needle stickiness that can happen with Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy (especially in hot and/or humid locations). It’s an inexpensive thread conditioner and the tiny box you get will last YEARS.

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