Purchased appliqué on Saltspring Dress
Appliqué detail
When do you Use It?
Use appliqués as decoration on just about anything—blouses, dresses or skirts; pocket openings, bodices, necklines, monograms, skirt hems or anywhere you like. Appliqués can be sewn all over the garment, placed evenly along hemlines or edges, or used to highlight specific areas like the waistline.
Depending on the project, you can either apply the appliqué before the garment is constructed or once the garment is fully sewn. Applying it before the garment is sewn is the easiest to do, since the fabric pieces are flat. This is the best way to add appliqués to small areas and the easiest to machine-appliqué. This is also the best method if you are confident on where to place the appliqué.
Sewing the appliqué in place after the garment is finished lets you pick the perfect placement. Try the garment on a dress form or yourself, pin the appliqué in place and adjust until it’s in the perfect place, then sew it on securely. To sew an appliqué to a completed garment, handsewing is best unless the area is easy to access by machine, such as the hemline.
Use appliqués as decoration on just about anything—blouses, dresses or skirts; pocket openings, bodices, necklines, monograms, skirt hems or anywhere you like. Appliqués can be sewn all over the garment, placed evenly along hemlines or edges, or used to highlight specific areas like the waistline.
Depending on the project, you can either apply the appliqué before the garment is constructed or once the garment is fully sewn. Applying it before the garment is sewn is the easiest to do, since the fabric pieces are flat. This is the best way to add appliqués to small areas and the easiest to machine-appliqué. This is also the best method if you are confident on where to place the appliqué.
Sewing the appliqué in place after the garment is finished lets you pick the perfect placement. Try the garment on a dress form or yourself, pin the appliqué in place and adjust until it’s in the perfect place, then sew it on securely. To sew an appliqué to a completed garment, handsewing is best unless the area is easy to access by machine, such as the hemline.
Tips + Notes
- If your purchased appliqué is cotton or a natural fiber, you may want to prewash the appliqué first, before applying it to your project, especially if the finished project will be washed and not dry-cleaned. Wet the appliqué thoroughly and let it dry before sewing it on.
- Consider where you’re placing delicate or intricate appliqués, like beaded ones. Are they going to be abrasive? Are they located in a spot that’s going to be rubbed and worn?
- Beaded appliqués are best applied by hand. The machine’s presser foot could damage the beads and the bumpiness makes it difficult to feed through the machine.
- For interesting appliqués, cut out motifs from a printed fabric. Shapes with well-defined edges work best, like flowers with distinct outlines.
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