Appliquéing

Appliquéing

PATCHWORK STORK

Applique Stork

Appliquéing the "Stork Scissors"

I did this one as a practice piece. It was quite easy. Appliqué is a kind of patch that

is applied to clothing. In its broadest tools sense, an appliqué or appliqué is a

smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of ceramics, for

example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally

for the purpose of decoration. The word appliqué is a French word that, in this

context, means "that has been applied".

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.

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

the following:

Straight stitch, typically 2-3mm in from the edge. Satin stitch all around,

overlapping the edge. The patch may be glued or straight stitched on first to ensure

positional stability and a neat edge. Decorative stitching over a significant amount of

the appliqué piece, with the thread intended to be part of the artistic effect.

The Buttonhole stitch is a good example. 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.