How to Make Appliques for Clothes
Appliques for clothes add a touch of decoration to an outfit and can tie a whole look together. Plain purchased outfits, dresses and overalls, can be given a special personality to match the wearer's current interests--whether they're children or adults. Appliques are also great remedies for covering up small stains. They are easy to make and can be created inexpensively with scraps of leftover fabric. Cookie cutters or coloring books are just a few options for creating wonderful applique shapes to adorn clothing.
Things You'll Need
- Lightweight fusible webbing
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Cookie cutters, coloring books or other simple shape
- Pencil
- Iron
- Clothing
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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1
Cut a square of lightweight fusible web a 1/2 inch larger than your applique shape or pattern. Place the flipped, mirror image of your applique shape or pattern on the paper side of the fusible web. Trace around the shape.
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2
Iron a scrap of fabric that is slightly larger than the fusible web square. Lay the fabric wrong side up on your ironing surface.
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3
Place the fusible web, glue side down, on the fabric. Iron to adhere the fusible web to the back of the fabric. Cut out the fused fabric shape along your traced line.
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4
Peel the backing paper from the fused fabric. Place the fused shape, glue side down, on your chosen clothing. Iron the shape to adhere.
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5
Stitch around the appliqued shape, using a zigzag stitch. Center the presser foot over the edge of the applique so that one edge of the zigzag will stitch on the applique and the other edge will stitch on the clothing.
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Tips & Warnings
Experiment with the zigzag border around the applique, by changing the width and length of your stitch settings.
Use only lightweight fusible web intended for sewing. Heavier fusible web will cause glue to build up on your needle and result in skipped stitches.
