How to Make a Chicken Applique

Applique a chicken onto a shirt, pillow or quilt.

Applique, a needleworking technique where fabric is cut into decorative shapes and embroidered onto a backing fabric, is a time-honored way to embellish quilts, pillows and clothing. Appliques can be elaborate, simple or whimsical -- like a chicken -- and when cut from a fray-free fabric such as wool felt, suitable as a project for any beginning stitcher. Choose felt colors and thread that are complementary to your background fabric, but which are strong enough to stand out.

Things You'll Need

• 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of wool felt, in desired color for chicken
• Tailor's pencil
• Scissors
• Background fabric
• Straight pins
• 1 skein embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle

Instructions

1. Sketch a chicken shape onto the sheet of felt using the tailor's pencil, or trace a chicken pattern onto the center of the felt.

2. Cut out the chicken applique.

3. Spread the background fabric onto a flat surface and place the chicken applique on top of the right side of the fabric. Position as desired, and pin into place.

4. Cut a length of embroidery thread about twice the length of your arm. Thread through the embroidery needle and knot one end.

5. Push the needle up and through the background fabric and applique's edge -- approximately 1/10 inch from the edge of the applique -- from the wrong to right side. Pull the needle and thread, so the knot is flush against the wrong side of the fabric.

6. Push the needle back into the fabric, just off the edge of the applique, right side to wrong side, and pull firmly. This forms the first applique stitch.

7. Push the needle back through the background fabric applique's edge -- about 1/2 inch from the last stitch -- from the wrong to right side. Pull the needle and thread firmly.

8. Push the needle back into the fabric, just off the edge of the applique, right side to wrong side, and pull firmly. This forms the second applique stitch.

9. Continue stitching until you have stitched the entire perimeter of the chicken. Knot the last stitch on the wrong side of the background fabric and clip excess.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your stitches small and even for a neat, finished look.

• Use different colors of felt for a more elaborate applique -- use a different color to create a beak and feet, as well as wings, for example.

References

• The Applique Society; "The Basic Appliqué Stitch"; Neysa J. Powell
• Top of the Range Designs: Applique and Patchwork and Quilting

Resources

• Sulky.com Chicken Applique Pattern