I actually really LOVE the art of appliqué! Even though I don't use it that much (practically never) but I do love seeing others' works on the Internet and appreciate the artistry so much :) My October project that I've mentioned earlier in this post is also appliqué-friendly and, personally, I'm going to experiment a little in this field! So I thought if anyone wants to try the same I should tell a bit more about the methods of applique in advance. Method 1 So, the first thing you should remember is that the majority of fabrics tend to fray on the edge. And because of this, if you just simply baste a cutout to the ground fabric, eventually it will fray quite a lot even if at first it doesn't look like it. However, sometimes this kind of ragged and frazzled edge might be the desired effect! Especially, for enthusiasts of rustic style. In such cases, this method is what you need. And, basically, all you need to do is just work back stitch along the whole shape, stepping a little away from the edge. Make your stitches rather small so that all of the fibers are secured. I'm using quilting cotton in this example and it doesn't really fray that much – I frayed it myself for this picture as well as I could. However, if you use linen, for example, it is likely to fray a lot easier and the fibers might pull apart right in front of the stitches. In this case, your back stitching should be even smaller. Method 2 If you don't want the edges to fray, you can work buttonhole (blanket) stitch around the shape. You can work it more densely, of course, like I did in one of the examples in this post. By the way, I'm using a thread of contrasting color for all of the appliqué methods in this article to make it more clear. Naturally, you can use thread of a color similar to the appliqué cutout if you don't want it to stand out too much. Ah, and this method is commonly used in felt applique! Method 3 Now, if you don't want any fraying to take place but also don't want to work a border of buttonhole stitch around it, you can use a fusible interfacing! :) Instructions are easy: 1) cut a piece of interfacing material equal to the piece of fabric you want to apply it too, 2) interfacing material has two sides, one of which is adhesive. Put the interfacing piece with the adhesive side up, and lay the fabric piece on top of it, with its backside down and face up. In conclusion, the adhesive side should be next to the backside of the fabric. 3) iron it thoroughly (settings of heat are according to the type of fabric) staying for several seconds in one place. When you have applied interfacing with the fabric, cut the shape out of it. The thing is, the fibers are now glued from underneath so they are going to hold together and are very unlikely to fray. It is almost like paper. Well, unless you expose it some rough tugging like in a washing machine or if you use it on everyday clothes So, what you will do now will depend on your artistic choice. If you want it to look raw like it is, you can baste it down with tiny running stitches of similar color. Or you can use any decorative stitch, you can find many on the Stitch Library. I used french knots here :) Method 4 This one is likely to look a bit more dimensional, but there is like 0 chances for any fraying to happen. And again, we need interfacing material (it will give a certain advantage but actually you can use another fabric, I will mention it below). BUT we need to put fabric and interfacing material in a different manner now! So, what we do is we put fabric face up, and then we lay interfacing material with adhesive side down. So, the face of the fabric and the adhesive side are supposed to be looking at each other. Then you can draw the shape down and backs titch along the edge. Cut the shape out with a seam allowance and cut a slit in the interfacing material. The turn it out. Now you have a shape like this – face of the fabric up and adhesive side down. You can now place it where you need on the ground fabric and iron it down. If you want to secure it even better, you can stitch a border of buttonhole stitch again, or baste it down in any other way. Or you can work invisible stitch like I did in this example. Like I mentioned, this method can be used with a different fabric instead of interfacing material. Just skip the ironing part and baste the piece down in the way you prefer the most :) So, here are 4 methods for your fabric appliqué! As for me, methods 2 and 3 are what I'm more likely to use but in the end, it all depends on the situation. Hope you find the method you of your liking too and try some appliqué in your next project! :)

A detailed step by step guide with illustrations and infographics for turned edge applique using paper backed fussible web.

We are always so excited when the Academy of Appliqué class catalog comes out, and this year is no exception. What is the Academy of Appliqué, you might ask? Well, it is one wonderful week in March, where many come not just to learn new skills, but they come from around the world to spend time with others who love this art form. It is a place where life-long friendships are formed, though one might only see that friend once a year at this special event. I (Kara) have even seen one of these friends while walking on the streets of Beaune, France! It is a small world, but the Academy brings that world together. The conception of this year's projects has been in the making for quite a while, and the two blocks we will be teaching are only two of the thirteen in our Woodland Reverie quilt. This quilt will be a wander through the forest with a little bit of whimsy and fantasy thrown in. Our class will focus on techniques, along with an emphasis on using new fibers creatively. Our students will be able to choose one or both of the two blocks to work on in class, on their way to ultimately finishing the whole quilt! Each block can be done in either a light or dark background and many of the skills for both blocks will overlap. Without further ado, here are the blocks we will be teaching in detail. The Spring Block A sweet robin tends to its eggs while surrounded by springtime, flowery, dogwood swags—there are even velvet pussy willows to evoke that essence of spring. Light colorway Dark colorway A combination of six different fibers were used to create this realistic nest. A slightly different look with the light background Embroidery helps bring the robin to life. Springtime flowers are the focus of the corner swags. We will learn to make all these flowers with various types of ribbon. You can learn to make perfect little pussy willows! Autumn Block A walk through the forest in autumn might give you a glimpse of the woodland treasures that garnish this woven wreath. The Fly Agaric takes center stage in this block! Velvet mushrooms rest upon a felted, wool patch of moss. Bias strips and tea-dyed sari silk yarn are woven together to create the wreath. Some of the techniques learned will be stumpwork acorns, wired ribbon flowers, and split leaves. A little sparkle with beads adds to the fantasy element in this block. Embroidery gives dimension to this butterfly! No matter which block you choose to make (maybe both!), you will learn a multitude of skills to put in your appliqué toolbox. So, how can you attend the Academy of Appliqué? Simply click on this link: Academy of Appliqué. This will take you directly to the website where you can find out all the information you will need to sign up. The catalog of classes is available now, and sign up for the classes opens on September 2nd. The classes fill up fast, so it is a good idea to make sure you are ready with your first choices as soon as registration opens. We hope you will choose to join us this year as we make these woodland blocks. Our class is usually full of laughter, fun, and chocolate—and not necessarily in that order! Stay tuned throughout the year as we will gradually reveal more blocks from Woodland Reverie!

Looking for some cute kids' decor? Learn how to make this beautiful felt applique swan banner for a kid's room or nursery with our DIY pattern and tutorial.

See how to applique with sewing machine, how to make appliques from fabric scraps, and learn applique techniques that are easy to use.

Deborah Louie sets herself apart in the quilting world by taking advantage of all of those stitches on your sewing machine.

I'm busily working on a new embroidery pattern. It's been a long time since I originally played with this idea and I'm excited to be finally revisiting it! Felt appliqué is so versatile and I love exploring the endless ways to use it in my work. Hop on my email list to find out when

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'Gaggle of Geese' Raw Edge Applique Design Drawn and digitized by myself - I hope you enjoy stitching them! Did you know that the collective noun for geese is a 'gaggle'! Well you do now.. Several different design options included... Three separate goose designs, 1, 2 and 3: each included in three sizes (4x4, 5x7 and 6x10) Also included is a design version that includes all three goose designs, as 5x7 and 6x10 Shown in the photographs are the combined design, including all three geese (6x10), an individual 5x7 goose (version 3), and individual stitch outs of each 4x4 goose in plain and patterned fabrics You will receive the following formats EXP HUS JEF PES VIP XXX If you need a different format or size please message me. This is a digital download ONLY for the embroidery image listed in picture. You must have a computer with an embroidery machine to use this file. Resizing is not recommended. Occasionally designs do not resize properly when you do this. You may use this embroidery file for embroidering for yourself, or to sell items you have embroidered with this design. If you do create items using the Gaggle of Geese, I would very much appreciate if you could acknowledge Crafty Hound Designs and me as creator of the design. Thank you. Please do not resell my designs as it takes many hours to digitize and test them and so please respect that.

Those of you who are following along with the construction of Twilight Gardens may have been wondering about the applique coming up in block 5. We are not quite there yet, but I thought I would give you a little primer on one way to do applique. It seems there are dozens of ways to applique one fabric to another, and ultimately, you need to try a few methods and find the one you like the best and gives you the best results. I tend to be a hand applique person, and many of you are not, and prefer to do everything by machine. The applique in the Twilight Gardens quilt can be done by hand or machine, and this method of prepping your applique pieces can be used for either method. If you have another method you would like to use on this quilt, please feel free to do that. The main thing is that you are enjoying the technique and it is achieving the results you like. Preparing your applique pieces Normally when I do applique, I like to do simple needle-turn. This eliminates the need to pre-turn the edges of your pieces. But I thought I would try a new method. I have seen this demonstrated, and it seemed like a pretty easy method and one that could be used for either hand or machine. Start by tracing your pattern pieces onto the paper (non slick) side of a piece of freezer paper. If you need it, use a light box or a well lit window to help you see the pattern clearly. Make sure you trace an outline for each piece you will be appliqueing, as the freezer paper templates can not be reused. Label them if there is any confusion about where they go in the block design. Cut out the templates right on the line, and separate them into piles based on the fabric that will be used for each applique piece. In this case I have flower petals in either medium or light blue, and leaves that will all be cut out of a single green fabric. I like to use a separate pair of scissors to cut paper from the good ones I use to cut fabric with. This keeps my fabric shears sharper longer. Now, using a water soluble glue stick, apply a little glue on the center of the paper (non slick) side of each template and glue them down to the wrong side of your fabric. Leave 1/2" space between all templates. Once you have your templates glued down, using your fabric shears, cut the fabric pieces out leaving a scant 1/4" seam allowance (about 3/16" is about right) on all sides. Now we will start turning the raw edges of the fabric. If there are any sharp points on your applique shapes, begin by folding over the point first. Using a mini iron and a stiletto that will not melt, gently iron the seam allowance over the template, with the crease right on the edge of the freezer paper. The seam allowance should lightly adhere to the slick side of the freezer paper which is now facing up. Follow around the edge of your template turning the edge with the stiletto and gently ironing with the mini iron to hold in place. The example shown in the photos has all convex sides, but if your piece has a tighter concave curve or an inside point, you will need to clip into the seam allowance almost all the way to the freezer paper to have it conform to the shape easily. Clip only once for an inside point, make a few clips for a curve. Once you make it all the way around your piece it should look like the photos below. The next piece you need to prep is the stems. These also can be made a variety of different ways. The method I will show you here is one of the oldest. It was the first method I learned and one I still prefer for doing small bias stems. Fold over the corner of your stem fabric forming a 45 degree angle. Cut how ever many strips you need off the corner so your strips are cut on the bias. Fold these strips in half down the length of the strip and mark a sew line using a contrasting marking tool at a width slightly wider than your finished stem should be. Here I am marking at a little over 1/8" for a 1/8" finished width. Use a set of press bars for making bias strips. They come in metal, and heat resistant plastic. They both work well, but the metal ones can get hot to the touch. Stitch on your marked line and trim the seam allowance down to less than the width of your finished stem. Here I am trimming seam allowance to less than 1/8". Insert the appropriate size press bar and roll the tube so the seam can be pressed the back side of the stem and not show. Once the seam allowance is pressed to the back, remove the bar and turn over your stem. Pin the stems in place first. Use a fine thread with matching color to applique them down. They can be either machine sewn using a close matching thread color and a blind hem stitch, or they can be hand appliqued. I like to use Kimono brand 100 wt. silk thread by Superior Threads. It is very fine and nearly invisible. It comes in 80 colors and is strong for it's weight. When appliqueing by hand take small stitches. Drop the needle into the background fabric right adjacent to the applique piece, then bring the needle back up slightly under the edge of the applique, and out right at the edge fold. Repeat this stitch along all edges. Once the pieces are stitched in place, turn over the piece and locate the individual pieces with freezer paper still attached inside. CAREFULLY with a pair of applique scissors that are sharp right to the point, cut a small slit in the background directly underneath your applique piece. Be very careful to stay far from the sew edges. You just need a small hole large enough to pull the freezer paper through. Using a stiletto or pair of tweezers, grab the paper and give a slight tug to release the glue. Remove the paper from the back. Here is trick to make your hand sewing much easier. If you use silk thread, you may have the problem of the needle coming un-threaded occasionally due to the fine thread. When you thread your needle, pull a loop of thread through the eye of the needle and loop over the point of the needle, then pull snug into a small knot at the eye. This will keep the thread put while you are sewing. When you reach the end of the thread, tie off and cut the knot off the needle by gently running the blade of your scissors along the eye of the needle. This method of preparing my applique pieces worked very well for this project. At first I was a little concerned about cutting the back of my project to remove paper templates, but I found this was really simple and left a very small hole that does not compromise the strength of the background. As always, I suggest trying this, as well as other methods, and choosing your favorite. Steven

Jessica asked me to give you couple of gentle reminders from the Shop today…first… The 12 Days items are not meant to be Christmas presents delivered in time for Christmas. We ship as …

I liked this article. Man knits his way around the world. I wonder what would you think. Actually I'm not sure I like this, but I was fascinated with the idea. The ultimate in a headboard, a cross stitched one. Find the details at Re-scape .com. Like so many of you with the lovely likes, books are often a part of them. I've been neglecting to share what I am reading. Here is the latest one...All For Nothing by Walter Kempowski, a novel about a wealthy family living in East Prussia in 1944. It is what I think of as literary and I've never read anything about this part of the world before. So far, interesting to me. My niece posted this article on Facebook and I enjoyed checking it out. I made note of several I haven't read that looked interesting. Unputdownable: 17 Books I came across Janet Clare several years ago on one of my hunts around the net for bird stuff. She is a British artist and I admired this particular pattern of hers called Small Brown British Birds. I liked the combination of embroidery with patchwork and applique. I also liked the way she had included a tiny description of each bird in their block...like here, the bullfinches "are quiet" while the sparrows "are very noisy". Here is a link to Janet's blog and to her shop. I love this piece below of applique combined with embroidery I found on Pinterest. It brings to mind two happy memories for me. One, it reminds me of the Arctic cotton that grew around the community I lived in on Baffin Island when I was a young teacher and mother. Arctic cotton photo captured from the net. And two, it reminded me of the jelly fish I saw in a large aquarium tank at the Toronto Ripley's Aquarium of Canada which I visited with older grandson two years ago. I know it doesn't really look like either of those things, but it is interesting how certain sights can pull up a memory of things past. Happy memories in this case. I looked and looked but could not find the source to credit the artist who made that wonderful piece; I'd love to see all of it. If you come across any info, please let me know. And here we are, Jack and I, behaving like tourists riding around on a double decker tour bus. Gotta like that! I don't get to travel often but love it when I do. Join me in visiting It's A Small Town Life and Not Afraid of Color to read about some other wonderful happy things.

Are you considering taking up applique embroidery up as an art form, either as a hobby or as a profession? We are aware of the fact that the art of embroidery does not quite enjoy the same valued place as it used to in the past but they are nevertheless an interesting one. Applique embroidery is the art of placing small bits of clothing to create a pattern on a contrasting fabric to form interesting patterns on it. This form of embroidery can not only make something plain and simple into something special but also adds a textural aspect that makes it very interesting. Some people like to hand embroider the appliqued bits to form a design while others can resort to machine embroidery to make these designs. In some instances, people feel that the look of the applique work comes into its own, only when done by hand. The thing is when you hear about applique, you realize that it is not all as straight or as simple as it sounds. In fact, you will realize that the many variants of applique embroidery are used across the world using many techniques.

100 Days of Organic Applique - The Book!

Susan Brubaker Knapp is fiber artist, author, teacher, host of Quilting Arts TV and a Bernina Ambassador. And, also makes amazing art quilts!

Although most of the country seems to be cloudy and moist right now, there is a chance that we will be experie

Discover the beauty and versatility of raw edge appliqué with this comprehensive guide. Learn about the tools and materials you'll need and essential techniques for creating intricate designs.

Digital Applique Design for use with Embroidery MachineSizes: 4X4, 5X7, and 6X10 (other sizes available by request)(other files will have the 6x10 format added as fast as I can get to them. Until then you can just email me for that size)Formats: ART60. ART, PES, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, VIP, SEW, XXX(other formats available by request

Beginner's Applique Tutorial #2 -- Teach yourself the time honored art of beautiful hand applique! This pattern has step by step instructions with lots of diagrams to describe as well as illustrate how to do basic multiple piece hand applique. You also get an applique pattern for the flower shown as well as a set of instructions to turn your block into a small quilt or shoulder bag. This pattern teaches you how to take a pattern, in this case a flower, and prepare six different pieces of fabric, nestle them back together into one unit that fits like a glove and is super easy. This is Darcy's unique technique and won't be found anywhere else. Pattern #2 also includes instructions for a shoulder bag and a small quilt. Applique Tutorial #1 is a completely different lesson. The instructions take you through the process of marking your fabric easily and accurately without a lightbox, clipping, the needleturn applique process, and embellishing with embroidery including the eye and Darcy's unique knotted buttonhole stitch. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced applique person, you will learn some useful and unique methods from these patterns. Instructions for the assembly of a baby bunny quilt are also included in pattern #1 for when you finish your applique bunny block. This is one of the classes that I regularly teach and sometimes I have class kits left over. The kit contains everything you need to make the shoulder bag including needles, freezer paper, beads, hardware, the tutorial pattern, and fabric.

Getting caught up on my "Quilting the Garden" BOM by Blackbird Designs. A good friend and mentor of mine, Debbie Wick, made the quilt years ago and small group of close friends meet at Debbie's house each month to work on our own versions of this beautiful quilt with Debbie's guidance. Here is the latest block we're working on, Summer Cottage, this is an image of Debbie's finished block. Awesome isn't it? She does fantastic work... And here is the same block from the "Quilting the Garden" book: (I don't remember if this is Alma's or Barb's block - sorry). My Summer Cottage block currently looks like this - The roof is ready to stitch down. What do you think of those side windows ? Don't they look like stained glass? The fabric was a special gift from Debbie. Love them. Love that background fabric too! Another special gift - thank you my friend. * In case you're interested in the process -- I've outlined some details: *** NOTE: If you're new to Needle Turn Applique and want to learn more, you can reference "Teardrops of Love - a needle turn applique tutorial" on my blog header tabs. There is an in-depth 4 part tutorial documented there. *** The grass has some areas that are needle turned and some that can be left raw because another applique piece will be placed on top of it. To transition from one area to the next first snip the fabric at the transition mark, travel with a running stitch to the next transition, snip the fabric again, and continue with your needle turn. When you prepare the piece for needle turn, don't mark the areas that can be left raw - this will be your clue to transition from turning to raw edge. Be sure to give yourself a comfortable amount of leeway so you don't end up with raw edge where you need needle turn. At the end of the turned area, snip or clip the fabric so it will lay flat and then travel with a running stitch to the next area that will be turned. Here is another view: Below is the completed view. The raw edge area will have a flower pot positioned on top of it. Another important tool for applique piece placement is an overlay. There are several tools you can use including the Dritz overlay sheets or thin clear vinyl. I use the Dritz flimsy clear sheets (it comes on a roll), trace the edges of the critical pieces on the sheet with a dry erase marker, and then use the marked overlay to position each applique piece. When you're not using the overlay it has enough "cling" to hang on a clean painted wall. Using the overlay for the grass placement. Using the overlay for the house placement. It's hard to tell from this picture but the needle turn lines are drawn on the pink house and should line up exactly under the overlay lines of the same. A view of placing the roof - I'm making progress. Here are some of the other blocks I have going - Block1 - my poor little bird still needs to be stitched. Detail view: I love the star -- it's an old Blackbird Design fabric !! Woohoo! Block 2 -- remember I worked on this one when we went to San Diego in October -- great place to visit quilt shops ! Details: Oh - and the Herb Block -- it's a bit stalled but an easy one to work on in time: I love the background on this one too!! That's all for tonight - If you have any questions on the Overlay or the stitching for layering of applique pieces please leave me a comment - I would be happy to try to answer them. * Have a good week all and stay tuned -- that 100 post giveaway is in the works - and some other exciting news to share with you! Hugs, Karen

One day I was idly scrolling through Pinterest and came across these Free people Brand Jeans. I love the fun floral applique and the print fabric they used. I liked the distressed raw edge to the denim layer of the flower. It felt really springy and happy to me. When I clicked on the link to get to more images I saw

basic sunbonnet Soo pattern

I leave for Quilt Market tomorrow and I really wanted to get this post done before I left. It’s almost midnight and I just finished my last two quilts, got them quilted and the binding sewn …

Discover the beauty and versatility of raw edge appliqué with this comprehensive guide. Learn about the tools and materials you'll need and essential techniques for creating intricate designs.

Explore Laura Nathan’s 49 photos on Flickr!

Here is Block 1 of my 2010 Block of the Month: Florabunda. I’m a little new to putting patterns up on my blog so if you have any trouble downloading the pattern let me know by leaving a comment. I have the pattern in two forms. The first is a full size pattern (12” square you can download here ) that you can save to a USB drive and take to a copy place to have printed. The other is a ¼ size drawing (download here) that should print on a regular printer. You can make 4 copies of this...

This downloadable PDF includes the Eastern Cottonwood Pattern and Innovative Appliqué instructions, which makes it possible for everyone to be successful. 
Finished Measurements Approximately 16"x 18" plus border 
About Innovative Appliqué
Innovative Appliqué techniques make it easy to create this turned-edge leaf. No tracing, needle-turn or ripping freezer paper from the back of your project. Stitch by hand or machine. This pattern can also be used for fusible appliqué. Create Trapunto dimension without stuffing.

This design was created as a smaller version of our Marcia’s FlowersPattern. This will be a generously sized needle book, but the design can be used for other applications as well. Finished size approximately 5”x7”.

Appliqué is a fun way to express yourself with fabric. Learn How to Applique Like a Pro by following these easy steps. It's easier than you think.

Follow these easy instructions to learn how to do needle turn applique, a traditional form of hand applique.

Torn Shirt = Great Opportunity! Using reverse appliqué to patch a hole. By Diane Gilleland Here's a decorative way to repair a prominent hole (or

Crafty textile artists around the world are making their own appliqué to creatively express themselves.

After sewing for almost two straight days, I am ready for a break! Doesn’t this one look cool though?

Introducing my Spring Meadow cushion cover sewing pattern as launched on Sewing Street TV. You will receive my step-by-step instructions including full size appliqué templates and placement guide. I class this project as intermediate, someone who has experience of sewing basic seams and outlining applique using a sewing machine or by hand. The finished cover measures approximately 16" square and features simple patchwork with a border. Applique scene, outlining with freemotion or satin stitch (or by hand) and an envelope back. You can also order a printed pattern to be posted to you in my 'Printed Pattern' section. Kits will also be available too. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Happy sewing Helen Instagram helennewtonsews

Dew & Moss Quilting Fabric Collection by Alexandra Bordallo - Fairy Fabric. Dew & Moss play on a meadow. Their mushroom house is really cute

In today's FACES of the South feature, see how Natalie Chanin's incredible work helps makes our world a more beautiful place to live.