Applique for Beginners: Fusible, Needle Turn and Machine Stitch Methods Compared

How to do raw edge fusible applique by machine

1. Prepare the fabric. Choose tightly woven quilting cottons. Many fusible web makers advise prewashing without fabric softener, which can stop the adhesive from bonding. Press the fabric smooth.
2. Trace the shapes in reverse. Fusible web goes on the back of the fabric, so trace each shape as a mirror image onto the paper side of HeatnBond Lite. Leave about 1/4 in between shapes. Add a little extra to any edge that will tuck under a neighboring piece.
3. Fuse the web to the fabric. Rough cut around each traced shape, place the adhesive side on the wrong side of the fabric and press with a dry iron, following the heat and time on the package. A pressing mat such as the PQT Wool Mat 17x24 holds heat evenly.
4. Cut out the shapes. Let the fabric cool, then cut exactly on the traced lines with sharp scissors. Curved blades such as the Gingher Curved Embroidery Scissors make smooth curves easier.
5. Arrange and fuse to the background. Peel off the paper backing, arrange the shapes on the background fabric starting with the pieces that sit underneath, and press straight down to fuse. Lift and set the iron rather than sliding it, so shapes do not shift.
6. Stabilize the back. Pin or spray-baste a layer of tear-away stabilizer such as HBI Tear Away Stabilizer behind the background. It keeps dense satin or blanket stitches from puckering the fabric.
7. Set up the machine. Fit an open toe foot so you can see the edge, insert a fresh 75/11 needle such as Schmetz Embroidery Needles, and set a blanket stitch about 2 to 3 mm wide and 2 to 2.5 mm long, or a small zigzag. Sew a test on scraps first.
8. Stitch around each shape. Sew with the straight part of the stitch just outside the shape in the background, so the side stitch bites into the appliqué. On curves, stop with the needle down in the background, lift the foot, pivot slightly and continue.
9. Finish the stitching. Pull the thread tails to the back and knot them, tear away the stabilizer gently, and press the block from the back on a towel so the stitching stays raised.

What is applique in quilting?

In quilting, appliqué is the technique of stitching fabric shapes onto a background block or a whole quilt top. Pieced blocks are built from shapes sewn edge to edge with seam allowances; appliqué shapes sit on top, so they can be any outline you can draw or trace.

A few terms you will meet in patterns:

• Background: the fabric the shapes are sewn onto, usually cut a little larger than needed and trimmed after stitching.
• Fusible web: a heat-activated adhesive on a paper backing that bonds a shape to the background before stitching.
• Raw edge: the cut edge of a shape, left exposed and held by stitching.
• Turned edge: a seam allowance folded under so the shape has a smooth, finished edge.
• Layering order: the sequence shapes go down, from the back of the design to the front, often numbered on the pattern.

Appliqué combines beautifully with patchwork. Rosettes from English paper piecing are often appliquéd onto background squares, and simple shapes on plain blocks break up a pieced quilt.

Which applique method is easiest for beginners?

Raw edge fusible appliqué is the easiest place to start, because the fusible web holds the shape perfectly still and there is no seam allowance to turn. Machine blanket stitch is the most popular way to finish those edges on quilts that will be washed. Needle turn takes the most practice but gives the smoothest, most traditional look.

If you enjoy hand sewing in a chair, needle turn is worth learning after a fusible project or two. If you want a finished quilt quickly, stay with fusible and a machine finish. Many quilters use both, even in one quilt.

What machine stitch is best for applique?

Blanket stitch, sometimes labeled buttonhole or appliqué stitch on the stitch chart, is the favorite for fused appliqué: a straight stitch runs along the outside of the shape and a short side stitch bites into it at regular intervals. Satin stitch, a very short, dense zigzag, covers the edge completely. A small zigzag or a straight stitch just inside the edge works for raw edge looks. Every machine differs, so treat these as starting points and test on scraps.

For thread, 50wt cotton such as Aurifil 50wt White blends into cotton fabric, a fine 60wt polyester such as Superior Bottom Line 60wt nearly disappears and suits the bobbin, and a 40wt polyester set such as the New brothread 63-Color Kit gives satin stitch a glossy finish. Use Schmetz Embroidery Needles for dense stitching.

Machine features that help: a needle-down setting for pivoting, a speed limiter, adjustable presser foot pressure and an open toe foot. The Janome 3160QDC-G lists appliqué among its uses. Straight-stitch-only machines such as the Juki TL-2010Q cannot sew blanket or satin stitch, but they excel at raw edge straight stitching and at quilting the finished top. Compare options in the best sewing machines for quilting or read the Janome 3160QDC review.

How do you do needle turn applique by hand?

Needle turn appliqué uses the tip of the needle to fold the seam allowance under as you stitch, a little at a time. It is slow and meditative, and the finished edge looks smooth with nearly invisible stitches.

1. Mark the shape lightly on the right side of the appliqué fabric, using a template and a fine marking pen or chalk such as the Clover Chaco Liner on dark fabric.
2. Cut the shape 1/8 to 3/16 in outside the marked line. That margin is the turn-under allowance.
3. Baste it in place on the background with short Clover Applique Pins, which at 3/4 in are less likely to catch the thread, or with dots of Roxanne Glue-Baste-It placed well inside the shape.
4. Thread a fine needle such as the Clover Black Gold Applique Needles with about 18 in of fine thread matching the appliqué, not the background, and knot it.
5. Turn and stitch. Sweep the allowance under with the needle tip until the marked line just disappears, hold the fold with your thumb, and take a small stitch: down into the background right beside the fold, a short step forward underneath, and up through the very edge of the fold. Keep stitches small and close together.
6. Clip inner curves and points. Clip inside curves almost to the line so they turn smoothly. At outer points, fold the tip under first, then each side.

A hand blanket stitch in floss is another hand option with a folk-art look; see the blanket stitch guide for diagrams.

What is the best fusible web for applique?

For appliqué you will stitch, choose a lightweight, sewable fusible web. HeatnBond Lite is a double-sided, heat-activated iron-on adhesive made to be stitched through: the maker states it does not gum up needles and adds little weight or stiffness. The 17 in x 5.25 yd value pack is about $14.

Avoid heavy "no-sew" versions for quilts. They are designed to hold on their own without stitching, feel stiffer and can gum up the needle if you do sew through them.

Two other helpers:

• Temporary spray adhesive: Odif 505 is repositionable and marketed for machine appliqué, useful for holding stabilizer or turned-edge shapes.
• Water-soluble basting glue: Roxanne Glue-Baste-It places tiny droplets for needle turn and washes out.

For a softer quilt, cut the center out of large fusible shapes before fusing, leaving a ring of adhesive about 1/4 in wide inside the traced line. The shape stays anchored at the edges but the middle stays soft.

What are the most common applique mistakes?

1. Forgetting to reverse the shapes. Letters and directional shapes come out backward. Trace from the reverse side of the pattern, or flip the template.
2. Over-fusing. Pressing too long or too hot can weaken the bond or leave a shiny spot. Follow the time on the package.
3. Puckered backgrounds. Dense stitches pull the fabric in. Add tear-away stabilizer and reduce stitch density.
4. Stitching off the edge. Slow down on curves, stop with the needle down in the background, and pivot often.
5. Stiff quilts. Large fused areas feel board-like. Use a light web and cut away the center of big shapes.
6. Thread showing on needle turn. Match thread to the appliqué fabric, and keep stitches small and perpendicular to the edge.

Planning a full appliqué quilt? Size it first with the quilt size calculator, and use the quilt block size calculator to decide how big each appliqué block should be.