Made4bug: Free Motion Applique Pattern

When Leanne and Gail, the creative talent behind made4bug, first approached me to review their Calico Jack and Fishnet Bonnie Free Motion Applique Pattern my mind filled with a plethora of awe-inspiring ideas. 

While I'm comfortable with free-motion quilting, at a beginner level, I have never tried free-motion applique. I've seen a lot of very funky designs floating around and always thought it'd be something I'd look at 'one day', but never really got around to it. After reading this pattern though, I knew it was something I needed to do. I was dreaming up skirts, dresses, bags, quilts, cushions. You name it, I was going to free-motion it. Unfortunately, my threenager caught wind of my plan and had other ideas...but more on that soon.

Firstly, the pattern is really well written. It's very easy to follow and there are some great hints and tips. It's labelled with a difficulty level of Intermediate, which seems appropriate to me as the technique can take a little getting used to, but don't let that stop you from jumping in and giving it a red hot go (seriously, what's the worst that can happen?). There are even some practice templates included, which are great for increasing your comfort level before tackling your pirate.

I really love how you can complete this project from scraps. It means you're less afraid of making mistakes, but also allows you to add some gorgeous designs to projects without breaking the bank.

All my itty bitty pieces ready to go

The first few steps are super easy and it's really fun dressing your pirate (the phrase 'suit up' may have been chuckled once or twice).

All fused up and ready to sew

At first I thought I was just making a mess of the whole thing, but when I took a step back it actually started to look pretty awesome.  The best part is that it's supposed to be a little messy, like a sketch, so it's easy to cover most mistakes.

Here's a back view of my progress. It just looked too cute not to share.

It's neater than the front.

Now back to that threenager issue I mentioned earlier. I had planned on either appliqueing this beauty to a bag or a skirt, but the Lord Commander insisted on a doll. As far as she was concerned, I was making a pirate doll and no amount of persuasion (i.e. chocolate) was going to convince her otherwise. She even had the boat ready. I tried to sneakily make a second but she discovered that one too...now she has two dolls.

I don't really mind. It was actually kinda fun playing pirates today.

Finished pirate dolls.

The Calico Jack and Fishnet Bonnie Free Motion Applique Pattern can be found at the made4bug Etsy store. You can also follow made4bug on Facebook or Instagram.

What do you think? Do you have a little pirate that would love one of their own?