Appliqué

Quilt block in applique and reverse applique

Applique or appliqué is a French needlework .technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto a bottom piece of fabric to create designs.Reader\'s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. The Reader\'s Digest Association, Inc. (March 1992). ISBN 0-89577-059-8, p. 192-206 It is particularly suitable for work which is to be seen from a distance, such as in banner-making.

A famous example of applique is the Hastings Embroidery.Made in England in 1798

Applique is used extensively in quilting. "Dresden Plate" and "Sunbonnet Sue" are two examples of traditional American quilt blocks that are constructed with both patchwork and applique. Baltimore album quilts, Broderie perse, Hawaiian quilts, Amish quilts and the ralli quilts of India and Pakistan also use applique.

Types of applique

Applied pieces usually have their edges folded under, then are attached by any of:

1. Straight stitch, typically 2-3mm in from the edge
2. Satin stitch all round, overlapping the edge. The patch may be glued or straight stitched on first to ensure positional stability and a neat edge.
3. decorative stitching over a significant amount of the applique piece, with the thread intended to be part of the artistic effect. The Buttonhole stitch is a good example.
4. central fixing only, with the edges of the applied piece intended to rise up from the background cloth. Typically used when attaching 3 dimensional flowers.

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has image media such as pictures and art related to:

Applique

• Applique Techniques
• Quilt exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum in 2008

References

• Barber, Elizabeth Wayland: Women\'s Work:The First 20,000 Years, W. W. Norton, 1994
• Gillow, John, and Bryan Sentance: World Textiles, Bulfinch Press/Little, Brown, 1999, ISBN 0-8212-2621-5
• Reader\'s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. The Reader\'s Digest Association, Inc. (March 1992). ISBN 0-89577-059-8

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