Applique (or appliqu
) is a technique in which pieces of fabric are sewn onto a foundation piece of fabric to create designs. It is particularly suitable for work which is to be seen from a distance, for example, Banner-making.
A famous example of applique is the Hastings Embroidery whose designs are appliqued onto the backing fabric using a variety of embroidery stitches.
Applique is also used extensively in quilting. "Dresden Plate" and "Sunbonnet Sue" are just two examples of well-known quilt blocks that use both patchwork and applique to construct.
Baltimore album quilts and Amish are famous examples of applique quilts due to the quality of their designs.
Types of applique include:
Decorating using appliqu's
The basic idea of
appliqu
seems easy
cutting
a shape out of one fabric
and sewing that shape onto
another fabric. However, it
is actually a fair bit more
complicated than that: there
are a few things that you
need to consider such as
whether to hand sew or
machine sew, what materials
to use, how to stop the
edges from fraying, etc.
Appliqu
is a simple and
effective method of
decorating fabric whether
you are using hand appliqu
or machine appliqu
. Hand
appliqu
means you sew it
yourself, so you have to
know at least one type of
stitch such as the
slipstitch. Machine appliqu
is of course done mostly on
sewing machines. Appliqu
doesn't just use fabric; it
can also be used with other
materials such as beads,
sequins, etc. and is often
combined with other types of
needlework such as
embroidery to create the
desired effect.
Appliqu
is suitable for
small or large scale work
but not every material is
appropriate for every
appliqu
project. If you are
planning appliqu
for
something that will require
frequent washing such as
table mats you must choose
fabrics that wash well, e.g.
linen. If you are planning
something purely decorative
such as a wall hanging there
is a wider choice of fabrics
to select.
There are two important
steps in appliqu
. The first
includes the designing and
transfer of the design to
the fabric, the second is
the appliqu
itself. There
are two approaches to
designing for appliqu
. The
first approach is to work
directly with materials,
cutting shapes, arranging
and rearranging the shapes,
and stitching them to a
background either by hand or
machine without any
planning. The second
approach is to plan a design
on paper, using cut paper,
tracing shapes out of books,
or drawing simple forms such
as leaves, butterflies,
fish, etc. The colour and
texture of the material
should be carefully chosen
as they are a very important
part of the design.
Historical perspective
The word appliqu
comes
from the French word
appliquer, meaning to
put or lay on. As a method
of decoration appliqu
has
been a popular technique and
has a long history with the
earliest known example being
a canopy of leather in Egypt
believed to date from 980
BC. However, it is highly
likely that other cultures
were using appliqu
before
this time.
Over the centuries many
different materials have
been used in appliqu
including beads, fabric,
fish scales, and leaves.
They have been sewn on to
almost any stitchable
material imaginable: linen,
beaten bark, leather, etc.
Needles are the main tools
used in appliqu
whether by
hand or machine. In the past
needles made from bone or
twigs were used but nowadays
metal needles are used.
Many cultures use
appliqu
to decorate
clothes, quilts, curtains,
wall hangings, cushions,
bags, etc. Today appliqu
is
a craft in its own right and
is done as a
hobby and profit.
Cultural perspective
Appliqu
is widely used
throughout the world as in
many cultures it is common
to decorate oneself and
one's surroundings. Various
cultures have even developed
their own style of appliqu
,
e.g. the Cuna Indians of the
San Blas Islands, off the
coast of Panama have
developed a style of
appliqu
called mola work.
The designs used are often
symbolic. Often, the women
get together to appliqu
and
have a social time.
Appliqu
has also been
used by various churches for
religious garments,
decorations such as wall
hangings, and altar cloths.
Often these items have
symbolic or ceremonial
significance with the
appliqu
consisting of
symbols, such as the star to
represent the bright star
that shone above the manger
of baby Jesus, and the cross
to represent Christianity.
Other designs like spirals
are used simply for
decoration.
