How to Sew on Appliqués

Adding appliqués to clothing and accessories can be a fun way to dress up your children's clothes. Children are especially fond of having a shirt or hat with their very own initial sewn on the front. You can also add flowers, polka-dots, and other simple designs.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fusible interfacing
• Iron
• Fabric for appliqué
• T-shirt or other item you want to sew on
• Sewing Machine
• Thread

1. Iron the fusible interfacing onto a section of the appliqué fabric using the manufacturer's instructions. You should use a piece of interfacing and fabric larger than the design you are using.

2. Draw or trace your design onto the back side of your appliqué and interfacing piece. If it is a number or letter it is best to use a stencil and place the stencil on the paper backwards so that you actually trace the mirror image of the letter on the paper. This way, when you turn the appliqué over, the letter will show up correctly.

3. Cut out your letter or design, peel off the paper backing and iron it onto the shirt or other item where you want it to be.

4. Sew the appliqué onto the shirt or item using the "Hand Look Appliqué Stitch" if you are using a fabric with edges that won't ravel such as fleece or felt. Use the "Zigzag" stitch or "Satin" stitch for woven or raveling fabrics. If using the "zigzag" stitch, remember to use the smallest stitch width possible.

5. When finished sewing around the perimeter of the appliqué, you should be back where you started sewing. Leave at least 4 inches of thread hanging. Use a needle to thread the beginning and ending pieces of hanging thread through the shirt or item to the back side.

6. Tie off the beginning thread to the ending thread so that the stitch doesn't unravel. Cut off the excess thread.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for any additional perimeters in your design. For example, if you are sewing on the letter "O", you will need to sew the outside edge of the "O" and then repeat the steps for the inside edge.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a contrasting thicker thread to add color and dimension to your design.
• If you are using fleece or felt for your appliqué, do not iron directly onto the fabric, place a piece of thin cotton fabric between the iron and the appliqué.