April 05, 2004 An original

Fusible Appliqué

      Appliquéing with fusible webbing is a fast, easy, and fun way to appliqué.  Simple instructions are given below.  Should you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me at sregora@quiltingpassion.com.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

  • A simple pattern

  • Fabric for the background

  • Fabrics for the pieces of the pattern

  • Scissors

  • Needle

  • Embroidery Floss or Perle Cotton

  • Iron

  • Fusible Webbing (double-sided)

  • Appliqué pressing sheet (optional)

     Instructions:

  1. Print the patterns, then enlarge or reduce them to the size you want.  Remember that, when finished, the finished block will be the mirror image of the pattern used,  so if you want it to face the opposite direction of what it shows in the pattern, now is the time to reverse it.  

  2. Select your fabrics.  

  3. Using the patterns, trace the pattern pieces onto a light-weight, double-sided fusible webbing, being careful to trace onto the paper side of the webbing.  Tip:  When tracing, if you use paperclips to hold the pattern and webbing together, it doesn't slip!  HUGE TIP:  Be sure to cut the pattern pieces that go underneath other pieces a little larger because this is the area that will overlap.  For example, stems usually go beneath petals on a flower, so you would cut the top of the stem approximately 1/4" longer than the actual pattern.  Be careful to not cut the pieces too much larger, though, as it will add to the bulk of the block.

  4. Once the patterns are traced, cut each pattern piece out.  It doesn't matter if you cut precisely at this point; it can be a fast, rough cut.  In fact, it saves time if you loosely cut at this stage.  Be sure to use paper-cutting scissors.  

  5. Label each piece according to the pattern, so that you know where it was in the pattern.  This may not seem important, but when trying to reassemble the block, it can get confusing, especially if it has many pieces!

  6. Press each rough-cut piece onto your fabric, being careful to press to the wrong side of the fabric and to also leave at least 1/4" around the edge, for trimming room.  Follow the instructions on the specific fusible webbing being used when pressing.

  7. Cut the pieces out of the fabric, being careful this time to cut precisely, however, on the sides that are going to fit underneath another piece, it is wise to cut those sides a little larger (as described in step 3), so that the overlapping fabrics have something to "grab".  

  8. Lay the pieces on top of an appliqué pressing sheet or your background fabric, with the original pattern underneath.  Place these pattern pieces so that the ones that overlap, do.  (The advantage of using an appliqué pressing sheet is that it allows you to place and fuse the entire block together before pressing it to your background fabric, hence, also giving you room for "playing" with the pieces and/or correcting placement.)     Move the pieces around until you are happy with the placement.  It is important that you overlap a little on the pieces, else they won't stick together when you press.  Again, refer to step 3 for more information on cutting and overlapping.  Do not press the pieces together on the appliqué sheet until you are satisfied with the layout.

  9. Cut a block from the background fabric that is adequate enough for the size of your pattern you traced.  It is wise to cut the block approximately 1/2" larger than needed, since the appliqué process causes the fabric to shrink some as you stitch.   

  10. Lay the original pattern underneath the background fabric.  You should be able to see enough of it through the fabric to place your appliqué pieces, but if not, then simply use a permanent black marker to trace around the pattern to make it more visible.  To center the pattern, you may need to lightly press the block in half, both directions.  This will give you the center of the block.  Or fold it both directions diagonally; this will also give you the center.  

  11. Press the appliqué pieces in place.  Do not press the appliqué pieces onto the background fabric with the paper pattern underneath, because the ink may bleed onto the fabric. 

  12. Once all of the pieces are pressed into place, then button-hole stitch them down.  If you need instructions on how to learn beginning hand button-hole stitching, refer to the Button-Hole Appliqué directions provided on the Web.  A sewing machine can also be used to appliqué the pieces to the fabric. 

  13. Once you finish appliquéing, then press the block flat. 

  14. Lastly, trim the block to the correct size.

  15. This finishes this block!  

 

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