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About Applique Design

An applique is a fabric shape sewn to another piece of fabric or a garment for decorative purposes. They are thought to have originated from patching clothes that had been torn or worn through, and the idea has become widespread. Almost every culture uses applique in their clothing, form India to China and the USA. Appliques are also use in quilting to add decoration and shapes in contrast colors and prints, livening up the design.

Shapes and Colors
- Appliques can come in any shape from simple circles and squares to flowers, animals and objects. Create letters to spell a word, use appliques as a monogram, or applique an image on a garment or quilt. Applique shapes are often used in quilting to illustrate a story. In children's wear, appliques are used to tie in coordinating colors and fabrics within a set. Appliques are often contrast in color, are meant to stick out and are a design detail on the garment. Create a brightly colored applique on a dark piece of clothing to add charm and playfullness.
Fabrics
- Any fabric works for an applique, from cotton poplin to velvet to lace. The thicker the applique fabric, the smaller the applique should be. Use the fabric as another dimension for the applique; add a leather applique to a jean jacket or a velvet one to a lace dress. Choose a printed fabric to applique to a plain one, or choose a coordinating print to bring in unexpected detail. Place a striped applique on a printed top or vise versa. Lace appliques are a very beautiful touch for any wedding, evening or special occasion dress and add charm and femeninity to the look. The fabric is often cut away from the back of the applique to allow the lace to show through.
Sewing
- An applique is usually sewn decoratively to a garment or fabric by creating dense stitches along the outside of the applique. The applique must be sewn all around the shape at the very edge to prevent peeling or detachmant of the applique. An applique is not usually finished at the edge, so the stitching usually acts as the edge finishing tool to prevent fraying. An embroidery machine is used for the dense stitch in the fashion industry and contrast or shiny thread can be used to add design detail. When using a home machine, use the zig zag feature to sew the applique to avoid cracking of the stitches. A lace embroidery is usually sewn on with a straight stitch for delicacy.
Applique and Embroidery
- Embroidery has become a popular and impressive part of applique design. A decorative piece of fabric is embroidered with a design, monogram or shapes then the fabric is cut to shape and applied as an applique to a garment or fabric. Embroider cat eyes and a nose to a white piece of velvet then cut the velvet to be a cat face with pointy ears. Apply the applique to a children's jacket. Create dark brown embroidered spots on a piece of corduroy then cut the fabric to the shape of a giraffe.

Sewing