Applique Quilting Technique

With applique quilting, you can make many designs of your choice, on your quilt, which you could not have otherwise made with simple piecing. There are two techniques of applique quilting; hand applique quilting technique and machine applique quilting technique. You can sew variety of pictures on your quilt, like landscapes, animals, etc. using applique quilting technique. The applique blocks can be combined and then sewed on a larger background cloth. Listed below are details of the two applique quilting methods. Quilting for beginners must commence with a small task; such as, an applique pillow, so that they get used to the techniques involved in quilting. Usually long thin needles are preferred. Stitching can be done in various patterns like zigzag, satin, blanket, blind, etc. Various quilting tools required are, pins, thread, ruler, cutter, stencils, etc.

Applique Quilting by Hand

It is the most traditional quilting technique and also the most common one. This applique quilt technique is usually preferred, when the design to be sewed is uncommon and different and cannot be achieved by machine quilting technique. To start with, prepare pieces of fabric which have to be appliqued. Mark a line along which you want to stitch. Pin the pieces that are to be stitched to the background. Choose short pins. Stitch the fabric to the background. For a decorative look, you can use a blanket stitch or blind stitch.

Applique Quilting with Machine

It is a modern type of quilting technique. This technique is fast and easy as compared to hand applique quilt technique. This technique is preferred by many quilters because of the even stitches stitched by a sewing machine. Machine applique quilting, is done in a zigzag pattern using a sewing machine. Before you start stitching, set up the machine with thread and sew on a rough fabric cloth, to test the machine. A fusible webbing is used to hold the applique in place. Cut the applique in the design of your choice. Stitch the applique in a zigzag pattern. The stitches should neither be too near nor too far. For a fancy look, instead of zigzag pattern, you can opt for satin.

Depending on your choice, you can either choose thread whose color is in contrast with that of the background, or ones which blend with the background. If you don't get the thread color that exactly matches with the background; prefer light-colored shades if you are appliqueing to light background, and darker shades if you are appliqueing to a light background. The quilt will look better if the stitches are not visible from the front side. To do this, keep the stitches small. Applique design ranges from simple to complex designs. Less number of fabric pieces will make your design less complicated. For hand applique quilt technique as well as machine applique quilt technique a soft fabric is preferred. The weight of the fabric should be low to medium.

With either of the aforementioned applique quilting techniques, you can make your quilts look beautiful by making a special design of your choice. So, for babies you may go ahead and stitch a baby quilt with designs of animated characters!