Applique Designs

Applique is one of the oldest embroidery designs around, but the art is still quite popular both with hand as well as machine embroiderers. Applique designs can be seen everywhere, ranging from kids’ and adult clothing to home furnishings like cushion covers , wall hangings and other decorative items. Its use is quite common in quilting also, where it is used to create unique patterns and designs.

The word appliqué derives its meaning from the French word appliquer which means to “put on”. The craft involves the process of sewing one piece of fabric on another to create designs. Many people tend to call appliqué as patchwork, but this is incorrect. For while patchwork involves the piecing together of different patches of fabric, appliqué involves the layering and stitching of pieces of fabric over a fabric base. There are many different kinds of appliqué techniques being used nowadays, and embroiderers keep experimenting with the basics in order to come up with different variations of appliqué.

Starting with appliqué is not a tough task at all, and you can easily get the hang of it with a little practice and experience. Making appliqué using machines should come easily to you if you are good at using embroidery machines. Other wise also, you can try making appliqué designs by hand. To start with, you need to select an appliqué motif. You can find one easily online, in a book or draw one yourself. Next, get the motif converted to the proper size for your fabric using a computer program or a photocopy machine. Once this is done, trace the motif on cardboard or create a paper pattern. Using this pattern, cut fabric pieces from the cloth that you want to use for appliqué. Make sure that the pattern you cut out is at least 3/4th of an inch larger than what you want your design to look.  Pin these pieces to your fabric and then secure them with blind stitch or whip stitch by folding along the edges. Once you have the pieces in place, use a dense zig zag stitch on the edge to finish it off. You can do this using your regular sewing machine. You can greatly enhance the looks of your appliqué by using some kind of padding material (e.g. foam) between your appliqué patch and fabric. This looks especially good when you are embroidering on top of your appliqué patch.