How to Make Floating Embroidery Appliques
Floating embroideries are usually associated with delicate fabrics that are prone to stretch or distort once hooped. These unforgiving ripples in the fabric distract from your embroidery efforts. The same applies when developing your embroidery appliques. By using the floating technique, you will be able to avoid any damage to your fabric and embroider freely while creating your applique as the focal point of your design.
Things You'll Need
- Sticky stabilizer
- Fabric
- Tailor's chalk
- Batting or padding
- Sewing machine
- Embroidery stitch
- Temporary adhesive spray
- Embroidery hoop attachment (optional)
- Embroidery machine
- Embroidery thread
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Stitch your padding or batting directly to your applique part. Appliques are generally constructed in parts, which you can opt to lightly mark with your tailor's chalk. Run a simple straight stitch with your sewing machine around each part. Make sure your stitch is as close as possible to the border of the part in order for it to be hidden by the embroidery casing stitch.
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2
Embroider a rim to encase the applique part. For example, if you are making a lion's face, you need to develop the eyes, nose, lion's mane and mouth separately. You can opt to use a base color fabric for your design and use a contrast color fabric for your nose and other applique parts. Select an embroidery stitch from your built-in stitch selector wheel.
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3
Spray a light coating of temporary adhesive to form your applique parts directly onto your fabric. Apply the parts to create your applique design.
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4
Attach a self-adhesive tear-away stabilizer to your fabric. Score the protective sheet and pull it off the stabilizer. Press the fabric with your fingers gently onto the stabilizer. This process will stabilize your fabric and is referred to as the floating technique.
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5
Center the sticky paper within your hoop prior to adding your embroidery stitch. Mark your design again lightly on your fabric with your tailor's chalk for your applique placement. By centering the sticky paper you will avoid fabric shifting or puckering during the embroidery process.
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6
Embroider around your applique parts. Once complete, remove the tear-away, sticky paper backing. Read the stabilizer's directions prior to releasing the paper from the embroidered applique.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Step 1 is very important in order for your applique's embroidered frame to align evenly onto the applique part. The embroidery stitch frame usually has a high stitch count, a sufficient amount of density and a raised surface.
