More and more people are coming to appreciate age old craft techniques handed down through the centuries. Appliqué is one such tradition and is a simple and fun craft technique for beginners. If you can use a needle and thread you can enjoy appliqué. Appliqué is very simply the art of applying one piece of cloth onto another. Appliqué can be used for almost anything, from quilts and cushion covers to huge artistic wall hangings.

Appliqué brings texture as well as color to your décor. In today’s modern world there are so many beautiful fabrics available to choose from, in an almost supply of textures and colors. Some of course are easier to sew than others. Thread is another important choice when considering your appliqué design. Some of the modern threads available are simply stunning and can add something very special to your appliqué work.

If you are just starting out with appliqué it is probably a good idea to start with something small, like a cushion cover, before moving on to larger items such as quilts or wall hangings. Keep your first design simple too. Flowers are a great starting point as they not only look bright, but have simple clean lines to follow.

First select a backing fabric. For your first attempts a fairly heavy and easy to sew fabric is best. Natural fabrics are far easier to work with than slippery man-made fibers. Next choose the fabrics you want to use for your design. Think about both harmony and contrast, not only in your colors but in fabric texture as well.

With your fabrics chosen, draw out a template on a piece of thin card. You can either draw your template free hand, or if you prefer there are literally thousands of templates available for free on the internet. Simply do a Google search for appliqué templates.

The next step is to cut out your fabric around the template and apply a backing so you don’t end up with rough edges. When drawing around the template, leave a margin for tucking under. For your backing the most commonly used materials are freezer paper or fusible web. Fusible web is available from any fabric store and is probably the easiest to use for beginners. Cut the web to the template and iron onto your fabric, folding over the rough edges.

Next comes the fun part of actually applying your design to the backing fabric. If you enjoy hand- stitching by all means use this method. The stitching in appliqué is as much a part of the design as the fabric itself. Consider using a variety of attractive stitching methods to create the special look you want. Machine stitching is of course quicker and with modern machines you have a whole host of stitches to choose from.

Another common technique in appliqué is to stuff some parts of the applied design with a little polyester stuffing. (This is the material used for stuffing dolls, cushions and pillows). It is very inexpensive and you certainly don’t need much. Put a little padding into the design when it is half – sewn up and then complete sewing. Padded appliqué patches can really bring your creation to life.

Once you have completed a few simple designs you can really let your imagination go to town and create complete works of art. Think about completing a beautiful appliqué wall hanging for your home, it is just like having a painting in fabric!

Jonathan Pitts

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