Needle-Turn Applique is Awesome

I tried needle-turn appliqué on a towel today.  It's not a technique I use very often because it's rather time-consuming.  It is, however, very rewarding.  There's something sort of amazing about the way the shape appears below the needle.

The last time I appliquéd this deer, I just zig-zag stitched a raw edge with my machine.  I'm just not sure how much staying power that will have under the rigors of the washing machine.  So I thought I'd try this out and see how it worked.

Although I love the appearance, this really took a long time.  I'll try to get faster because I think it is lovely, but it's not terribly cost-effective.

I'm solving that dilemma a bit here by not appliquéing the edge of the deer I've buried in flowers.

I'm hoping to have this towel (and more) in the shop by the end of the week-end!