Perfect Applique Every Time

I just finished making a gift for my niece's baby girl (not born quite yet) and I thought you might like to see a quick, fool-proof way to applique.

Start with "Steam-A-Seam 2 Lite" (SAS2). This a double-stick fusible web that allows you to fuse one side, peel off the other side and fuse it to something else. This product stays flexible and won't stiffen up when you want to use it on clothing. Make a rough cut of the applique you want to add (if it's attached to something else). I used a section from the bottom of the jumpsuit I'm making so it's already printed for me--I just have to cut it out.

Rough cut applique and SAS2

Lay the applique piece or pieces over the top of the web (don't fuse yet) and rough cut them out together. Cutting them together will help you avoid having the web stick out over the applique and fuse to your iron or ironing board. Yikes!

Iron the web to the back of the applique

Fussy cut after fusing

Now flip over the web and peel away one of the layers of paper. Place the applique against the sticky side of the web (the side you just peeled) and iron the web side onto the back of the applique per the instruction on the SAS2 package. Once that's fused well, it's time to fussy-cut the applique. I leave about 1/8 inch around my applique so I don't cover so much of the design when I do my satin stitch.

Applique is almost ready for garment

Peel off final paper backing

Your applique is almost ready to attach to your bodice (or wherever it's going!). Flip over the applique and peel off the final backing from the web. This will leave you with a sticky-backed product. You can now easily put the applique were you want it and move it around till you're happy with it. I left a space at the top of the bodice so I could embroider the name of my new niece.

Once it's evenly positioned onto the garment, press it. If you're working with anything that shows marks easily, use a pressing cloth or press from the back. You should now have an applique that is ready for sewing.

Fuse the applique to the bodice

Choose a thread color that will compliment your garment or the applique. I like my applique stitches to blend rather than make a statement, so I chose a color close to the bodice color. I like to use Sulky Rayon Embroidery Thread in 40 weight. It gives a little sheen to the "patch". For the bobbin, I use a lightweight cotton embroidery thread (Mettler; comes in white or black). By using lighter weight thread specifically for embroidery in the bobbin, the bobbin thread pulls the satin stitch to the bottom of the project and keeps your bobbin thread from showing on top of the work. You'll be very pleased with the professional results you get by using these threads instead of your standard 50 weight sewing thread.

There are lots of ways to stitch down an applique; blanket, zig zag, straight, satin, or decorative. And you can do the stitching by machine or by hand. I will be using my sewing machine, and I've set it for a small satin stitch (SL is 0.6 and LW is 2.0). Always do a test first and make sure your stitch will grab enough fabric, otherwise your applique will fall apart after the first washing. I suggest you never go narrower that 2.0 in a satin stitch.

Open Toe Foot

I use an "open toe foot" for my applique. It allows me to see my stitches more easily and helps me glide around the turns. You will also want to reduce your presser foot pressure. By releasing some of the pressure of the foot on the fabric, it will allow you to turn the corners of your applique much easier. This particular applique has a lot of curves, so I take it slow and steady. If your sewing machine is going at a consistent rate of speed, it is much easier to control the turns. The less stopping you do around the curves, the smoother your curves will look.

Before you begin sewing around the applique, always add a stabilizer. There are many tear-away stabilizers available (once you've sewing the applique, you tear away the stabilizer and no one is any the wiser that you had it in there!).

Adding tear-away stabilizer

I LOVE the Sulky product Totally Stable. It irons on to give you a very firm foundation, and then it tears right off afterward, leaving no residue. Once you've got your applique stabilized, begin sewing in a non-conspicuous place on the applique.

After you go around the entire applique, take a look at it and add to it if you want to. In this case, I added another row of satin stitching inside the large heart. I also did a straight stitch around the elephants' ears and gave them each a tail since I had cut off their tails earlier (small details, such as elephant tails, whiskers, etc, are better left stitched later).

Tear away your stabilizer

If you like your finished product, turn it over and tear away your stabilizer. Don't be too rough on the stitches you just made, but once you've started, you should be able to tear right along the stitching line of the design. Use your seam ripper to start the sections inside hearts, balls, letters, etc. Now turn over the finished applique and press it.

The final product is clean and neat!

Double stitched heart

That's all there is to it! The applique looks professional and it only took about 40 minutes from start to finish. You can add applique in this method, over holes in jeans, on ready-to-wear clothing, tote bags, or like me, on something you're sewing from scratch. Enjoy doing applique, the easy way!

Final product--sorry about the lighting!