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During the quilt fair at Karlsruhe in June I took a class in hand-appliqué, taught by Emer Fahy.

Emer showed us 14 (!) different techniques how to appliqué fabric pieces to the background fabric. The techniques themselves are easy, but the hand-stitching is not! At least for me. There are two standard stitches (herringbone ore blanket), I'm not very good at both. My stitches are too big or too uneven or too visible. Or all three of them!

But I want to appliqué the fabric for my new placemat. So I chose the machine...

I had searched in the internet for photos with the keywords 'lake landscape mountains'. I found a lot and decided this one to be the best:

I wanted to baste or glue the big pieces to the background fabric before I appliquéd them. There was enough of bond-a-web left from Emers class.

The stuff worked fine, until the last pieces of the paper became somewhat fuzzy and the glue-thing fell of. I could still use it and iron it to the fabric-pieces, but I had to be very careful not to get any of the interface onto my iron or the surface of the ironing board!

As soon as the interface is ironed on the back of the fabric, the fabric is so stiff that it's very easy to cut it into any shape. And to iron the fabric to the background is easy too.

(Emer had showed us a second interface. I will try that one the next time.)

It was a lot of fun to create the picture! Now that it's finished I think my fabrics are too tonal. Only the green and the sun have a printed pattern. I suppose the picture has more depth if the fabrics are more lively.

The result is rather plain now. But because of the white yarn for the satin-stitch it looks great!

I was not sure how to quilt the placemat - finally I voted for simple large waves to accentuate the water.

And of course instead of a binding I made a facing!