Jan Patek's Favourite Things

Over the next few days, I hope to post pictures of each of my current tops-in-progress. These are five blocks of a b.o.m. from Homestead Hearth, Jan Patek's Girl Gang's Favourite Things.


I chose to do these applique blocks with the freezer paper method, and an open fine zig zag with a neutral tan thread. This I think suits the folk art look of the blocks. Sometimes that thread blends right in, other times it is a nice accent. I do like the look of freezer paper applique, it has a dimension rather than the sometimes flat-ness of fusible applique. What I don't like about freezer paper is taking out from the back!

I've looked into Sharon Schamber's method of using a wash-out but not stabilizer type product, but I don't think its something I want to have to constantly stock from the States - Purple Daises is the name of her affiliate store - as it doesn't seem to be available anywhere but at her site (although I'm still thinking of trying it - with the idea that it would be good to use on the top layers of an applique, and the freezer paper on the layer closest to the background); and, the convenience of freezer paper is that you don't need to glue down the template - an iron will do the trick.