Applique embroidery is a form of embroidery where pieces of fabric are sewn on to another piece of fabric. It’s a method used in the garment decoration industry and can be a very beneficial addition to your embroidery business!
- How appliqué embroidery works
- Needle appliqué embroidery
- Machine appliqué embroidery
- Reverse appliqué embroidery
- Fusible appliqué embroidery
How Applique Embroidery Works
The pieces can be cut from the same cloth, or they can be different-colored fabrics that have been painted with dye.
Appliqué was originally used as decoration, but it became more common to use appliqué for strengthening fabrics and creating a design without painting the whole piece of cloth.
The term “appliqué” comes from the French word for “to apply” or “to add” (aplier). It literally means “to add” or “attach.”
What It Can Do
- Most importantly, appliqué saves stitches, which will ultimately save your garment decoration business time.
- You can change the look of the design by using decorative stitches.
- It adds texture to your design.
- Appliqué can be done in multiple layers to add effects.
- This is great for garments such as hats, shirts, sweatshirts, and bags.
Needle Turn Applique Embroidery
There are four main types of appliqué: needle-turn, machine, reverse, and fusible.
Needle turn is the most common and popular.
It’s done by hand, using tiny stitches to attach your fabric shapes in place. These little stitches can sometimes be very challenging to work with, but the results will look beautiful!
Machine Applique Embroidery
Machine appliqué is often done on a sewing machine.
The design is cut out from paper and then attached to fabric using an embroidery hoop or some other type of frame that holds it all together while you sew around it with thread or yarn.
This method tends to be much faster than needle turn appliqué since you don’t have as many smaller pieces to sew onto each other.
Reverse Applique Embroidery
Reverse appliqué involves turning under raw edges before attaching them to another piece of fabric by hand or machine stitching.
Fusible Applique Embroidery
Fusible webbing can be added on top of the wrong side of your project and can be fused with an iron in place using fusible webbing that adheres to both fabrics at once when heat pressed together (or one at a time if you prefer).
This last method has been around for quite some time but has fallen out of favor in recent years because it does not require any hand stitching.
That makes it ideal for beginners who are just learning how to sew!
In Conclusion
Appliqué is not difficult to get started, and it can be very beneficial in your garment decoration business.
You can use any type of fabric — even your own hand-dyed fabrics — which makes it easy to match your appliqué work with any decorating scheme.
Once you’ve mastered those skills, you’ll love the results and your clients will, too!
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