Take your project to the Next Level
Applique can open so many avenues for your project from making a personal monogram to creating one of a kind likenesses of coloring patterns of a horse to adding decorative shapes and much more.
Applique is Ornamentation, such as a cutout design, that is sewn onto or otherwise applied to a piece of material. Applique can be done by hand or by machine. I am addressing machine applique here.
What you will need:
- Base Fabric (the fabric you will be sewing the shape onto)
- Decorative Fabric (the fabric you will be using to make your shapes)
- Iron-on Adhesive, Spray Adhesive or Straight Pins
- Stabilizer/Interfacing
- Thread
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors
Some sewing machines have many options for decorative stitches. My go-to stitch is the basic “satin stitch” which is a zig-zag stitch where the stitches are right next to each other rather than spaced in a zig-zag shape. I like the satin stitch because it smoothly covers the whole raw edge of my shape.
I love to use Heat N Bond Light Iron-on Adhesive for most of my applique work. A spray adhesive works well to, which I use on large applique pieces. Pinning the shape in place on your base fabric also works…but isn’t my preferred method.
To use the iron-on adhesive:
- Trace the shape onto the paper side of the adhesive.
- Iron the rough side of the adhesive to the back side of the fabric.
- Cut the shape out.
- Peel the paper backing from the adhesive.
- Place the shape in the desired position on the base fabric.
- Iron the shape in place, activating the adhesive.
Back the wrong side of the base fabric with a stabilizer, such as an iron-on light weight interfacing. (choose the weight of the interfacing based on your fabric and project, I often don’t use if when I use duck canvas)
Use your desired stitch to sew the decorative shape to the base fabric, I used a satin stitch. Peel the interfacing from the fabric and trim (or tear) away.
The possibilities are endless…what are you going to make?
This is a great image to pin! Pin this now and save this project for later.
