Appliqué has transformative powers. It can turn a simple piece of solid fabric into a thing of beauty that commands attention and shows just how darn creative you are. As a textile art, appliqué has been around forever, but our more modern approach is perfect for people (like us) who want a pop of color or texture without the hours spent, the perfect little stitches, and the poked fingers. After all, most of us are not ladies-in-waiting with a ton of time to spend sitting in the parlor. With that in mind, here are our thoughts on appliqué for busy people.
The least fussy approach to applying fabric; the edges fray a little, giving the appliqué a soft appearance. The look of raw-edge appliqués actually improves with washing, though now and then you may need to snip a thread or two.
If you want a more finished look, your machine has utility stitches that are great for stitching appliqués in place, like the good old zigzag or any overcast stitch. Working around the perimeter of the appliqué piece, allowing the stitches to overcast the edges, will seal the edges under the stitches and create a defined border.
Draw the appliqué pieces on the wrong side of the fabric with chalk, a fine-tipped pencil, or a fabric marker to provide good cutting lines. Keep in mind that the fabric will be flipped for application, so if the appliqué is asymmetrical, you’ll need to draw the mirror image on the back of the fabric. If it’s easier, use a vanishing ink pen and draw the shape on the front of the fabric. The grain of the fabric doesn’t matter, although if you’re using a print fabric, you may want to note which way the print is running, or plan the appliqué to incorporate your favorite part of the print design. Be sure to have nice sharp scissors for cutting the shapes.
It’s pretty magical to cut a window of fabric away on a shirt or skirt to reveal another fabric underneath. And truthfully, reverse-appliqué is really quite simple. You sketch a design onto the right side of the main project fabric and stitch another, contrasting fabric behind it, either with hand stitches or by machine. With the underlying fabric swatch in place, the fabric within the stitched lines can be cut away, and, voilà—reverse-appliqué! Try it with an underlay of patterned fabric, doodled fabric, contrasting fabric, or whatever seems to be a good partner to the top layer. It really looks impressive, and you don’t have to tell anyone how easy it is. It can be our little secret.
Paper-backed fusible web is an indispensible appliqué aid. It provides heft and stability to appliqué pieces, and you can draw on the paper for a good defined cutting line. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the web side to the back of the appliqué fabric before drawing and cutting the appliqué shapes. Then draw the shapes on the paper side of the webbing and cut them. Remove the paper backing and fuse the web-backed appliqué piece to the base fabric. The web holds the appliqué in place so it doesn’t shift during stitching—and who can argue with that? The only downside is that you need to buy it, and if you are like us, you probably don’t love to spend money if you don’t have to. Nicole generally limits her use of fusible web to things that have intricate cuts; the more basic shapes she simply pins in place.
Everything looks adorable made from felted wool, so here’s a simple appliqué project made from that irresistible material. We design our mittens extra long for tuck-ability, which keeps wrists warm and dry on the chilliest days.
Have the wearer place his or her hand flat on a piece of paper, with fingers slightly spread. Trace around the hand as shown, leaving about a ¼″ margin on all sides. Cut along the lines.
Fold the fabric in half with the wrong sides together and the grain running vertically (from mitten top to bottom). Pin the pattern piece in place, trace it, and cut along the lines through both thicknesses of fabric. Flip the pattern and repeat to make its mate; be sure to reverse the pattern or you will end up with four identical mitten panels.
Pin the star template (page 303) on the contrasting scrap, trace it, and cut along the lines. Repeat to cut a second appliqué.
Lay out two mitten pieces with the right side up and with the thumbs facing each other. Pin an appliqué on each piece and zigzag the appliqués in place (our stitch width setting was 3; stitch length was 2).
For each mitten, pin an appliquéd and unadorned piece with the right sides together (appliqué facing in) and the raw edges aligned. Straight stitch the pieces together with a ¼″ seam, leaving the wrist ends open. Backtack at the beginning and end of the seam (at the wrists). Trim away the corners of the seam allowances at the wrist and carefully clip the curved seam allowances. Turn the mittens right side out.
what you’ll need
• Felted wool sweater (see page 244)
• Contrasting felted wool scrap for appliqué
• 1 spool of coordinating thread
• Star template (page 303)
• Pencil and paper
Cutting tip: We made a pair of mittens for a child using sleeves from an old sweater—the sleeves are already folded with the grain running correctly. Convenient!
Stitching tip: A narrow seam allowance is used here because it wouldn’t be comfy to have a lot of bulky fabric inside the mitten. Set your stitch length on the short side (we set ours at 2) to make the seams strong and draftproof.
Design tip: You can use this same technique with just two layers of solid felt, cutting shapes from the top layer to reveal the contrasting color beneath.
This fast and fab project is the ideal way to use that pretty printed swatch you’ve been saving. Find one or two felt colors that complement it, and in less than an hour you’ll have a lovely spot to stash your shades or reading glasses. We highly recommend searching out wool felt for this project (see page 312 for sourcing)—it’s dyed in much nicer colors than regular craft felt, and it’ll hold up better, too.
Sandwich the cotton print square between the two felt pieces, with the right side of the print facing the exterior felt piece. The extra ½″ of the interior felt piece should extend beyond the top edge; the other edges should align.
To create a neat top edge for the case opening, fold the extra ½″ of the interior felt piece over the other two layers and press. Sew it in place with a narrow zigzag.
With chalk or a vanishing ink fabric pen, mark three 1½″ squares on the right side of the exterior felt square. Straight stretch stitch around the markings. To reveal the print fabric underneath, pinch the layers apart inside the squares and use sharp-tip scissors to carefully snip away the top layer of felt, leaving a 
″ margin of felt inside the stitching.
Fold the layered fabric in half with the right (exterior) sides together. Straight stitch a ½″ seam on the side and bottom edges. Trim the corner seam allowance as needed. With a small needle and thread, hand-stitch the sew-on snap inside the opening, being careful to stitch only through the interior fabric so your stitches won’t show. Turn the case right side out.
what you’ll need
• 8″ × 8½″ piece of felt for the interior
• 8″ square of felt for the exterior
• 8″ square of cotton print fabric
• 1 spool of coordinating thread
• Sharp-tip embroidery scissors
• Sew-on snap
what you’ll need
• 2 yards of wool or cotton jersey (any width over 7″ will do)
• Wool and cotton jersey scraps
• Variety of contrasting threads
Piling up fabric shapes brings the art of appliqué to a whole new level. This geometric scarf almost demands improvisation as you layer different fabrics and thread colors, giving your piece a bright boldness or a muted elegance.
Fold the fabric in half and with the wrong side of the fabric facing up, measure, mark, and cut a strip 7″ × 36″ (when the fabric is unfolded it will be 72″ long).
Draw sets of graduated-size circles on the jersey scraps, using lids, cups, and buttons as templates. Layer the circles and pin them in place on the scarf (steer clear of the central section that wraps around your neck) with long straight pins.
Using a straight stretch stitch, sew an X across each stack of circles, being sure to backtack at both ends.
Design tip: Mix the appliqué colors as you wish, or make them all the same color for a subtler look.
Design tip: Have some old tees on hand? Instead of using yardage, cut as many 7″-wide strips as you can from the shirts and sew the ends together with fun and decorative seaming to make one long strip. Try stitching them together with ½″ seam allowances, pressing the seams open and using contrasting thread and different utility stitches to sew the seam allowances down. Alternatively, grab a needle and some embroidery thread and cross-stitch along the seams. Then use the leftover scraps to make layered appliqués.
This formerly bland shirt gets a boost of style from a hand-sewn reverse-appliqué. This technique can be adapted for any simple design; we chose a pile of rocks, called a cairn, inspired by the creations Nicole’s family likes to build when walking along the creeks and rivers near their home.
Lay out the t-shirt with the right side facing up; smooth or iron it as needed. Pin the template in place and trace it with a vanishing ink pen or chalk.
Cut a contrasting jersey scrap that is 1″ larger all around than the marked design. Turn the shirt inside out. Pin the right side of the scrap to the wrong side of the shirt, covering the area to be appliquéd.
Turn the shirt right side out. Bring a knotted length of embroidery thread about as long as your arm from the wrong side of the shirt to the right side on one of the marked guidelines. Working on the right side, hand-sew a running stitch along the marked guidelines. Tie off with a knot inside the shirt.
Pinch the fabric inside each stitched shape to separate the layers and carefully cut away the top layer (the t-shirt fabric), leaving a ¼″ border inside the stitched lines, to reveal the reverse-appliqué.
Turn the shirt wrong side out and remove the pins. Trim away any excess fabric from the reverse-appliqué piece, leaving a ¼″ to ½″ border outside the stitched lines as shown at right.
what you’ll need
• T-shirt to embellish
• Contrasting jersey scraps
• Contrasting embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle
• Cairn template (page 303)
Design tip: For a guy’s hoodie, replace the velvet ribbon with strips of jersey in his favorite colors.
Hooded sweatshirts are basically a uniform in our neck of the woods. The hardiest New Englanders even wear them as winter coats and summer cover-ups—and they wear them all spring and fall, too. Yes, we’re a little sick of them. Still, they are so comfy and so convenient to throw on and take off that we know we’ll never kick the habit. Instead, we decided to do a little creative application of velvet ribbon and transform this workaday item into something lovely.
Lay out the zipped hoodie with the front side facing up. Arrange the ribbon; we cut the ribbon lengths in pairs and arranged them in a symmetrical design on both sides of the zipper. Pin the ribbons in place.
Using a narrow zigzag (our stitch width was 2; stitch length was 1.5), edgestitch all the way around each piece of ribbon with coordinating thread.
Stitch large zigzags of contrasting threads over the ends of the ribbons using a straight stitch; to do this, start near the end of each ribbon and stitch a line off the edge, then run the machine in reverse, then release and stitch forward. Avoid getting too close to the zipper. Repeat to cover each ribbon end with stitching, using one hand to support the fabric and the other to assist on the backstitching.
what you’ll need
• Zip-front hoodie
• Velvet ribbon in a variety of widths and colors (we used 20″ of blue, 16″ of light pink, 20″ of plum, and 7″ of fuchsia)
• Coordinating thread for each ribbon
• Contrasting thread for thread embellishment
what you’ll need
• 3½″ × 5½″ bound journal
• ¼ yard of woven cotton fabric
• Contrasting fabric scraps
• 1 spool of coordinating thread
• Paper-backed fusible web
• 
″ pearl snap and hammer
• Pencil template (page 302)
Small journals like this one are perfect to tuck into your purse. Use it to jot down ideas for your sewing projects, shopping lists, or poems. It’s easy to make fabric covers for any size book or journal using this method.
With the right side of the fabric facing up, measure, mark, and cut the following pieces:
—cover from main fabric: 6½″ × 9½″
—strap closure from main or contrasting fabric: 4″ × ¾″
Fold the cover in half with the wrong sides together and short edges aligned. Press the crease. Open the fabric. Press both long edges a scant ½″ to the wrong side. Zigzag the folded edges in place (our stitch width was set to 3; stitch length 1).
Zigzag along the remaining (short) edges to finish them. Press the edges 1″ to the wrong side and then open them so the piece is flat. Mark the center of the left edge at the crease for strap placement.
Narrow zigzag around all the sides of the strap closure piece.
Pin the wrong side of the strap on the right side of the cover at the strap placement marking (from step 3). Using a straight stitch, sew the strap in place with a rectangle, as shown.
Attach the snap’s decorative top piece to the strap as directed by the manufacturer. Attach its corresponding bottom piece to the front cover.
Fold the flaps to the wrong side at the creases. Zigzag the edges of the flaps to the top and bottom edges of the cover as shown.
Iron fusible web to the back of the appliqué scrap. Trace the template onto the web’s paper backing and cut it out. Remove the paper backing and fuse the appliqué in place on the front cover. Make sure the appliqué does not lie near the side flaps or you won’t be able to slide the journal into the cover.
Edgestitch around the appliqué and add details within it, using a variety of stitches as desired. We used a mix of narrow and wide zigzags and straight stretch stitch to define the edges of the pencil and create details.
Tuck the front and back covers of the journal into the side flaps.
Design tip: As an added bonus, this runner is reversible. Thanks to the stitched outlines, the appliquéd shapes appear in pleasing silhouette on the underside.
Finishing tip: If any long threads appear after you wash your runner, simply snip them with small scissors.
Nicole’s property is dotted with thousands of apple trees, and her family presses and bottles their own hard cider in the fall. Inspired by this seasonal ritual, this fabulous table runner blends the art of appliqué and the fun of thread drawing with intoxicating results.
Press the appliqué fabrics. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the paper-backed fusible web to the wrong side of the appliqué fabrics. On the larger piece, trace as many bottle templates as desired on the web’s paper backing (we traced a total of six bottles and six apples). Repeat with the apple templates and second appliqué fabric. Cut out the appliqués on the traced lines.
Remove the paper backing from the bottle appliqués and lay them out as desired on the right side of the runner fabric (we positioned three bottles on each end). Press the appliqués in place as instructed by the web manufacturer. Remove the paper backing from the apple appliqués and position them on top of the bottles. Fuse them in place.
Use the Sketching with Thread technique (page 134) to stitch the bottle and apple appliqués in place, ″ from all the edges (our presser foot pressure was 0 and stitch length was 2). If you want, rough up the edge of the appliqués with a nailbrush.
Press the long raw edges ½″ to the wrong side and trim the corners. The selvages will serve as the finished short edges. With a feather stitch (or any other decorative utility stitch you like), sew a border ½″ in from the edges, all around the runner, catching the folded-under hems in the stitching.
what you’ll need
• ½ yard of linen (at least 56″ wide) for runner, selvages left on
• 
yard of contrasting linen for bottle appliqués
• yard of another contrasting linen for apple appliqués
• 2 or 3 spools of contrasting color thread
• Paper-backed fusible web
• Bottle and apple templates (page 305)
what you’ll need
• 1½ yards of wool or cotton jersey (for the main body)
• 24″ square of contrasting wool or cotton jersey (for the appliqué)
• Approximately 1 yard of fold over elastic
• 1 spool each of coordinating and contrasting thread
• Embroidery thread and needle
• Sharp embroidery scissors
• Flower template (page 309)
Pull this skirt on and you’re ready for anything from work to a date night. It’s versatile, beautiful, comfortable, and really fun to make—which is great, because once your friends see it, they’ll beg you to make one for them. You can use sleek stretch wool jersey, or piece a look together from roomy upcycled t-shirts.
Follow the instructions in step 1 to measure, mark, and cut the fabric for the Two-Panel Skirt (chapter 3, page 46).
Press or pat out any wrinkles. Trace the appliqué template onto the front panel, as desired.
Pin the right side of the contrasting jersey to the wrong side of the skirt panel, underneath the traced appliqué design. With embroidery thread, hand-sew a running stitch along the chalk lines. When you’re done stitching, trim away the excess contrasting jersey from the back, around the stitching.
Pin the front and back panels with the right sides together. Using a straight stretch stitch and coordinating thread, sew ½″ seams. Press the seams.
Turn the skirt right side out and, if you like, topstitch over both seams with contrasting thread and a tricot stitch (or any decorative stretch stitch).
If you choose to hem the skirt, press and then stitch the hem in place using coordinating thread and a zigzag stitch.
Sew fold over elastic along the waistband (see chapter 1, page 19).
With the skirt right side out, pinch the center of each shape to pull the layers apart. Cut out the shapes with the embroidery scissors, being careful to snip only through the top layer, leaving ¼″ margin inside the stitched lines.
design alternatives:
There are several fun ways to create layered designs on a reverse-appliqué project, as shown in our examples, including:
• Stitch a shape on top of the cutout reverse-appliqué design.
• Add a second underlayer behind the first. On this skirt, we stitched a piece of cream-colored fabric under the pink, and then cut away the small central circle to reveal it.
• On the big flower with the brown ring, we stitched a cream swatch behind the pink, then hand-stitched the flower’s edges and two circles in the middle. Next, we cut away the brown fabric around the outside of the circle, and then we cut through both the brown and the pink layers inside the circle, revealing the cream swatch underneath.
And then, of course, you can always add some embroidery thread accents without cutting anything away, as we’ve done with the little brown flowers on our skirt.
what you’ll need
• yard each of solid canvas in the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, purple, turquoise, gray, white
• Denim sewing machine needle
• 1 spool of black thread
• Embroidery floss and tapestry needle
• Small tree branch or embroidery hoop
• Weather templates (page 306)
Sometimes even appliqué pieces don’t want to be pinned (or sewn) down. This mobile allows them to flutter freely in midair, and will lend a bit of sunny (and cloudy and rainy) color to any bland corner. Buy the canvas in the smallest increment you can purchase at the fabric store (usually of a yard), or make it from scraps of any colorful heavy-duty fabric or from wool felt.
Trace the templates on the right side of the fabrics as follows:
—outer cloud: gray
—interior cloud: white
—outer raindrop: turquoise (cut 4)
—interior raindrop: light blue (cut 4)
—rainbow arcs (in order from smallest to largest): red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, turquoise, purple
—entire sun: yellow
—sun center: orange
Install the denim needle in your machine and reduce the thread tension. Determine the best tension setting by test stitching on multiple layers of canvas scraps. Keep in mind that to sew the rainbow, the needle will need to pierce six layers of fabric.
Layer and pin together the various appliqué pieces, as shown. Using the black thread and a straight stretch stitch, sew ″ to ¼″ from the edge of each appliqué piece.
Stitch one end of a 12″ length of embroidery floss to the top center of each appliqué. Tie the appliqués onto the branch or hoop by knotting the embroidery floss so the appliqués hang at different heights, then trimming any excess thread. Hang the mobile with more floss.
Design tip: Want even more rainbow appeal? Spray paint your branch or hoop to match one of the canvas colors or wrap it in coordinating color yarn.
Stretch velvet is a luscious gift for the one-day sewist. Woven with just enough stretch, it allows for a lovely garment that doesn’t require zippers, darts, or anything fussy. Finished at the waist with fold over elastic, with a short or short-ish (just above the knee) hemline, this velvet skirt is a very cool cool-weather look, especially when paired with nice tall boots.
With the right sides together, fold the fabric in half so it stretches horizontally (comfortably from hip to hip). Follow the instructions in step 1 to measure, mark, and cut the Two-Panel Skirt (chapter 3, page 46), but make the following adjustments when measuring:
—Length: Start from the lower waist and measure just to your knee (or above, for a mini) and add ¾″ for a hem
—Hemline: draw a line marking the skirt’s bottom edge, 10″ or 12″ wider than the waist (this gives the skirt 5″ or 6″ of flare on each side)
Pin the front and back panels with the right sides together. Using a straight stretch stitch and coordinating thread, sew ½″ side seams.
Press the bottom edge ¾″ to the wrong side to hem. Using coordinating thread and a zigzag stitch, sew the hem in place.
Sew fold over elastic along the waistband (see page 19).
Using a straight stretch stitch and contrasting thread, topstitch a few decorative lines at ″ intervals just above the hemline.
Trace the flower template onto the remaining fabric and cut along the guidelines. Position as many flowers as you want on the right side of the skirt in the desired locations. Edgestitch them in place with a straight stretch stitch and contrasting thread.
what you’ll need
• ¾ to 1 yard of stretch cotton velvet (at least 55″ wide)
• Fold over elastic (length equal to your waist measurement)
• Spools of coordinating and contrasting thread
• Flower template (page 309)
Elegant enough for a fancy dinner, but still with a distinctly handmade feel, this design looks beautiful in just about any color palette. Choose fabric shades that complement your dining area and dishes, then sit back and soak up the compliments.
Press the fabric for the main panel; it doesn’t require cutting. Measure, mark, and cut the following pieces from the fabrics you’ve chosen:
—side panels* (cut 2): 10″ × 42″
—long borders (cut 2): 6″ × 72″
—short borders (cut 2): 9″ × 52″
*Cut carefully—you need to have enough fabric left over to cut four tree appliqués.
Press the fusible web to the wrong side of the remaining tree appliqué fabric, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Trace the tree template four times onto the paper backing, then cut along the lines.
Fold and press the main panel fabric in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides together. Open it and fold it in half widthwise, again with the wrong sides together; press. The pressed creases divide the fabric into quadrants to help you position the appliqué pieces.
Peel the paper backing from the tree appliqués. Fold the main panel along the widthwise crease, wrong sides together and short edges aligned.
what you’ll need
• 3 solid color, home-decor weight, woven cotton fabrics as follows*:
• 1½ yards of 42″-wide fabric for main panel
• 1 yard for tree appliqués and side panels
• 2 yards for short and long borders
• Paper-backed fusible web
• 1 spool of contrasting thread
• Tree template (page 303)
*Fabric yardage is for a tablecloth with the finished dimensions 86″ × 50″.
Cutting tip: The fusible web makes it easy to work with the intricate shape of the tree.
Position two tree appliqués on the tablecloth, centering the trees along the lengthwise crease. Press the pieces in place, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Flip the still folded tablecloth over and repeat on the right side of the other half.
With a narrow stitch width setting and full presser-foot pressure, knit stich around the edges of the tree pieces. It helps to keep the center line on the presser foot lined up with the edge of the appliqué. When negotiating a tight turn, leave the needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot, turn the fabric, put the foot down, and carry on.
With the right sides together, pin the side panels to the ends of the main panel. Stitch ½″ seams. Trim the seam allowances with pinking shears, and press them open.
Pin the long border strips to the longer sides of the tablecloth with the right sides together, and stitch with ½″ seams. Trim the seam allowances with pinking shears and press them open.
Pin the short border strips to the side panels with the right sides together and stitch them with ½″ seams. Trim the raw edges with pinking shears and press the seam allowance open.
Make a 1″ double-fold hem all around (see chapter 1, page 19), folding the corners square as shown. Stitch along the folded edge to hem the tablecloth.
Layout tip: Working on one half of the tablecloth at a time makes this large piece easier to handle.
what you’ll need
• 1½ yards of cotton fleece
• Remnant of felted wool (for appliqué)
• A hooded sweatshirt or other hooded garment (for pattern)
• 1 spool of coordinating thread
• Bird template (page 307)
Here’s an awesomely simple and supercozy project that you can embellish in any way you choose. We added a simple appliqué dressed up with machine sketching. Edgestitching the scarf gives it a pretty frilly look, and we highly recommend splurging on cotton fleece, which is really cuddly.
Fold the fabric in half lengthwise along the straight grain with the right sides and the raw edges together. Fold the hooded garment in half along the center back of the hood. Pin the front edges of the hood together and then to the raw edges of the folded fabric. Loosely trace around the hood ½″ from the edges of the hood for seam allowance. End the tracing at the hood/garment seam. Unpin the garment and set it aside.
Mark a line from the end of the hood tracing to the raw edges of the fabric, as shown. Extend the shaped line from that same point, down to the end of the fabric, gently curving it as shown to create the scarf. Cut along the lines through both thicknesses of fabric.
Cutting tip: The raw edges of the fabric, opposite the folded edge, will serve as the front of the hoodie scarf.
With the right sides together, straight stitch (our stitch length was 2) the layers together, starting at the top front of the hood and ending at the mark at the base of the hood.
Turn the hood wrong side out. Starting at the front edge of the hood, zigzag along the seam allowances to the base of the hood.
Press the long sides and bottom edges of the scarf extensions ½″ to the wrong side and zigzag in place.
Zigzag the raw edges of the hood. Fold the edge ¾″ to the wrong side and stitch it in place ½″ from the folded edge.
Trace the bird template on the felted wool and cut it out. Pin it wherever you want on the scarf.
Straight stitch (ours was set to 2.5) just inside the edges of the appliqué to attach it to the scarf.
Use a vanishing ink pen to draw legs. Using a straight stretch stitch, sew over the marked guidelines. Sew a stitch back and forth to add an eye, if desired.
Stitching tip: When finishing the scarf extensions, use the left edge of the presser foot as a guide, positioning the center of the foot halfway between the seam and the raw edge.
Go-anywhere ottomans took the world by storm a few years back, and they are still popular at many home goods stores. If you have one, treat it to a sweet new outfit. Otherwise, consider acquiring one just so you can deck it out in a cover made to match your room.
Fold the canvas or home-decor fabric in half with the right sides together. Measure and mark the following as shown on page 202, then cut through both layers of fabric:
Cut from the canvas or home-decor fabric:
—top panel (cut 1 on the fold): 8″ × 16″
—side panel (cut 4): 18″ × 16″
Cut from the contrasting fabric:
—appliqué: 16″ square
Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the paper-backed fusible web to the wrong side of the appliqué fabric.
Trace the petal template onto the paper backing in the design that appeals to you. We traced 10 petals in a circular pattern. With a craft knife, cut out the petals along the guidelines. Save the square of fabric, not the cut outs.
Lay out the top ottoman panel with the right side up. Remove the paper backing from the appliqué square and center it on the top panel. Fuse the appliqué square in place, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Straight stitch ″ outside the edge of each cutout on the appliqué square, allowing the raw edges to remain exposed. Baste around the perimeter of the square, ¼″ from the raw edge.
what you’ll need
• Cube ottoman (shown is 15″ square)
• 1 yard of 60″-wide canvas or home-decor weight fabric
• ½ yard of contrasting woven fabric (for appliqué)
• 1 spool of coordinating thread
• Paper-backed fusible web
• Petal template (page 302)
With the right sides together, pin one side of the top panel to a 16″-long side of one side panel and stitch with a ½″ seam. Repeat to attach the remaining side panels to each of the top panel’s edges.
With the right sides together, stitch the side panels with ½″ seams (start by stitching at the top panel seam). Trim the corners and press the seams open.
Press the bottom edge of all the joined side panels ½″ to the wrong side. Then, press another 1″ to the wrong side to make a double-fold hem. Straight stitch the hem in place.
Turn the cover right side out and slip it over the ottoman.
Stitching tip: There is a lot of fabric in a sheet, even a twin-size one, so proceed carefully. Take the time to smooth and shift the fabric around the front or the back of the machine so it doesn’t bunch up.
Stitching tip: The contrasting-thread lines anchor the Velcro and the hem, and they look sweet too.
Custom-made linens? Why not? Take a pair of plain sheets, jazz them up with bold appliqués, stitch them together, and your bespoke bed awaits.
Using a compass and pencil to draw, or different size plates and bowls to trace, mark the following circles on the wrong side of the appliqué fabrics and cut them out (mixing the colors as you like):
—dots (cut 4): 14″-diameter
—dots (cut 4): 8″-diameter
Fold the sheet that will become the duvet front in thirds lengthwise. Press the creases. Fold each big dot in half and press those creases. These creases will serve as guidelines for centering the appliquÉs.
With right side facing up, pin the larger dots onto the sheet so the crease in each dot aligns with one on the sheet. Pin the small dots on top of the big dots as desired. Straight stitch around the inside edge of one small dot two times. Repeat on the underlying large dot. Complete each pair of dots before moving to the next pair.
Pin the two sheets with the right sides together around three sides, leaving one short edge open. Straight stitch the pinned sides together with a ½″ seam.
Measure your duvet. Trim any excess length away from the cover at the open end. On each raw edge, press ½″ to the wrong side and then ¾″ again. Pin the Velcro strips 1/16″ from the pressed edges, extending from seam to seam. Straight stitch the Velcro and then hem in place. Turn the duvet right side out.
what you’ll need
• 2 flat bedsheets (size to fit your bed)
• ¾ yard each of 2 contrasting cotton fabrics (for dot appliqués)
• 2 spools of contrasting thread
• 1½ to 2 yards of sew-on ¾″-wide Velcro
what you’ll need
• Wool blanket
• Fabric scraps in 2 colors (we used linen scraps)
• 1 spool of contrasting thread
• Flower template (page 309)
Brighten up a tired blanket by strewing some sweet little flowers across it. Use a blanket from around the house or give a new lease on life to a thrift-store find. If you do the latter, you’ll want to give it a good laundering first. We’re not big on dry cleaning; instead, we just wash our thrift-store treasures gently in cold water with wool detergent.
If the binding is tired or torn, cut it off and replace it with new binding (see chapter 1, page 19).
Use the template in the size provided, or enlarge it to a variety of different sizes. Trace and cut as many flowers as desired from the fabric scraps.
Cut rough circles for the centers. Pin the flowers and centers onto the right side of the blanket in whatever arrangement you like.
Set your machine to a straight stitch and presser-foot pressure of 0. Using the Sketching with Thread technique (see page 134), edgestitch around the center circle, then around the flower, backtacking at the beginning and end of the stitching.
Design tip: If you like a rough-edge look, rub a nailbrush or toothbrush along the edges of the appliqué. Trim any long threads.
