What's in a Quilt - The Green Man - Part 6: Buttonhole Appliqué

Today I want to talk about raw edge appliqué and Buttonhole appliqué.

How many stitches are there in the Buttonhole Family? Well, there are MANY, that's for sure!

In TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday, the stitch tutorial and stitch challenge held by Sharon Boggon of Pintangle) I learned 25! variations of Buttonhole, or Blanket Stitch, not including the beaded versions. 

In my own Sunday Stitch School project I have introduced 14.

Now, not all of these 39 stitches are suitable for along-the-edge appliqué. Actually, many stitches with 'Buttonhole or Buttonholed' in the name feature detached buttonhole stitch, i.e. a Buttonhole Stitch has been worked over a THREAD, and not biting any of the foundation fabric, for example, a Cable Chain Stitch, as illustrated below.

Most of the other Buttonhole stitches can be used, though. Here are a few examples:

The point with Buttonhole Appliqué is that you don't need a seam allowance. Instead of turning in the allowance, needle turn, you can anchor the raw edge with a line of Buttonhole stitches. 

To keep the fabric in good condition, why not fuse the patches to the background first, then stitch along the edge?

Raw edge appliqué has its disadvantages of course. Eventually, the edges will fray, especially if the quilt is washed and handled a lot.

Many sewing machines have a Buttonhole Stitch, so it is also popular for machine quilting.

My Green Man looks like this:

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To see the Buttonhole Stitches in my collection you can find them in the lists below and by clicking these tabs:

TAST

#2 Buttonhole

#17 Crossed Buttonhole

#22 Buttonhole Wheel

#25 Bonnet

#26 Up and Down Buttonhole

#36 Knotted Buttonhole

#40 Buttonhole Wheel Cup

#46 Buttonhole Eyelet Flower

#55 Buttonholed Herringbone

#61 Up and Down Feathered Buttonhole

#64 Top Knotted Buttonhole

#65 Buttonhole Bar

#69 Buttonhole Double Chain

#71 Bullion Buttonhole 

#87 Buttonhole Picot Bullion

#88 Buttonhole Picot Chain

#94 Reversed Buttonhole Bar

#101 Triangular Buttonhole

#104 Buttonholed Cable Chain

#105 Alternating Buttonholed Cable Chain

#126 Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole

#128 Interlaced Up and Down Buttonhole

#136 Knotted Buttonhole Band

#141 Fancy Bobbin Edging

SUNDAY STITCH SCHOOL

#27 Buttonholed Buttonhole

#48 Detached Up and Down Buttonhole

#55 Tailor's Buttonhole

#66 Berwick

#96 Buttonholed Fly 

#134 Slanting Blanket 

#167 Fried Buttonhole

#176 Buttonhole Cross

#197 German Blanket

#207 Plaited Edge

#214 Threaded Blanket

#215 Up and Down Crossed Buttonhole

#247 Scallop Blanket

There are still Buttonhole stitches that I have not introduced in Sunday Stitch School yet!