Step-by-Step: How To Applique With An Embroidery Machine

How To Applique With An Embroidery Machine
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Step-by-Step: How To Applique With An Embroidery Machine

Have you ever wondered how people create those beautiful fabric shapes sewn onto shirts, quilts, or bags? This technique is called applique, and using an embroidery machine makes it much easier and faster than doing it by hand. Yes, most modern embroidery machines can do applique, provided you have the right design file! Applique adds fun layers and textures to your projects, combining the look of sewing with the precision of machine embroidery. Let’s look at how you can start doing applique with your embroidery machine today.

What You Need to Begin

Before you start stitching, you need to gather your supplies. Think of this as getting your toolkit ready. Having everything lined up makes the process smooth and enjoyable.

Embroidery Machine: The main tool! Make sure it’s working well and you know how to hoop fabric and load designs.
Applique Design File: This is a special file for your machine. It tells the machine exactly where to stitch and when to stop so you can add your fabric. You can buy these files, get free ones, or even make your own.
Base Fabric: This is the item you are sewing onto. It could be a shirt, a piece of quilt fabric, a towel, or anything else you want to decorate.
Applique Fabric: This is the special fabric you will cut into shapes and sew onto your base fabric. Choose fun colors or patterns!
Stabilizer: This is very important for machine applique. It supports your fabric during stitching. We will talk more about this later.
Embroidery Thread: You will need thread for the outline stitches and the final cover stitch. Pick colors that look good with your fabrics.
Bobbin Thread: Standard bobbin thread for your machine.
Sharp Scissors: Small, sharp scissors are key for trimming fabric neatly. Embroidery scissors or applique scissors work best.
Temporary Spray Adhesive or Fusible Web: This helps hold your applique fabric in place before stitching.
Basic Sewing Supplies: Things like pins, an iron, and an ironing board might be helpful.

Deciphering Your Applique Design File

An applique design file is different from a regular embroidery file. It has built-in stops that tell your machine when you need to do something, like place fabric or trim it.

Typical applique design files have specific color changes or stops that represent different steps:

Step 1: Placement Line: The machine stitches an outline directly onto your base fabric (or stabilizer). This shows you where the applique shape will go.
Step 2: Tack Down Line: The machine stitches another line just inside the placement line. This stitch holds the applique fabric firmly in place onto your base fabric.
Manual Stop: The machine stops. This is your cue to trim away the extra applique fabric around the tack-down line.
Step 3: Cover Stitch: The machine stitches the final border around the applique shape. This stitch covers the raw edge of the applique fabric and gives it a finished look. Common stitches are satin stitch, zig-zag, or a decorative stitch.

Knowing these steps in the design helps you follow the machine applique steps easily.

Selecting the Right Applique Embroidery Fabric

Choosing the fabric for your applique shape is fun! You can use almost any fabric, but some work better than others for machine applique.

Cotton: This is a very popular choice. It is easy to work with, doesn’t stretch much, and comes in many colors and patterns. Quilting cottons are perfect.
Felt: Felt is great because it doesn’t fray (the edges won’t unravel). This means you don’t have to worry as much about the cover stitch fully hiding the edge. It adds a nice texture.
Minky or Fleece: These soft fabrics can work but can be tricky because they are thick and stretchy. Use extra stabilizer and a design with a wide, dense cover stitch.
Vinyl or Leather: You can applique these materials! Use a sharp needle and designs with a looser stitch density so you don’t puncture the material too much.

Think about how much the fabric frays. If it frays a lot, you need a dense cover stitch like a satin stitch to make sure the edge is completely covered. If you are doing a raw edge applique machine design, where the edge is meant to show and maybe fray a little, you don’t need as dense a stitch.

Grasping Stabilizer for Machine Applique

Stabilizer is like the foundation for your embroidery. For applique, it is super important because it supports both the base fabric and the applique fabric, preventing stitches from puckering or distorting.

There are different types of stabilizer. The best one depends on your base fabric and the design.

Cutaway Stabilizer: This is the most common type for applique, especially on knit or stretchy fabrics like t-shirts. You cut away the extra stabilizer from the back when you are done. It stays with the fabric to give permanent support. The cutaway applique technique is vital for keeping stitches smooth over time, especially after washing.
Tear-Away Stabilizer: Good for stable fabrics like quilting cotton or towels. You can tear away the extra stabilizer when finished. It is faster to remove but doesn’t provide permanent support.
Wash-Away Stabilizer: This dissolves in water. It is good for projects where you don’t want any stabilizer left behind, like on sheer fabrics. You usually use a wash-away on top of the fabric (a “topping”) as well, especially on napped fabrics like towels or fleece, to keep stitches from sinking.

For most applique on clothing or items that will be washed, a medium-weight cutaway stabilizer is a safe choice.

Preparing Your Workspace

Getting ready is half the battle! Make sure your machine is set up, threaded, and ready to go.

Set Up Your Machine: Turn it on. Thread it with your first color (usually for the placement and tack down stitches). Put the bobbin in.
Hoop Your Base Fabric and Stabilizer: Place the stabilizer under your base fabric. Put them both together into your embroidery hoop. Pull the fabric and stabilizer taut, but don’t stretch them. Make sure they are smooth and flat in the hoop. A drum-tight hoop is best for good results.
Load the Design: Transfer the applique design file to your embroidery machine. Select the design and center it where you want it on your hooped fabric. Double-check the placement using your machine’s positioning tools if it has them.

Executing the Applique Steps

Here is the main part of the embroidery machine applique tutorial! These are the step-by-step actions you and your machine will take.

Step 1: Stitch the Placement Line

This is usually the first color the machine stitches.

Put your hooped fabric on the machine.
Lower the presser foot.
Start the machine.
The machine will stitch an outline of the applique shape onto the stabilizer and base fabric.
Stop the machine when this step is finished (it will usually stop automatically at a color change).
Do not unhoop your fabric.

This line shows you exactly where to place your applique fabric.

Step 2: Stitch the Tack Down Line

This is usually the second color stitch. It might be stitched right after the placement line, or there might be a stop in between.

Place your applique fabric over the placement line you just stitched. Make sure the fabric piece is large enough to completely cover the stitched outline.
You can use a little temporary spray adhesive on the back of the applique fabric or iron on a piece of fusible web (paper side up) to the back of your applique fabric before cutting it roughly. If using fusible web, peel off the paper backing now and iron it onto the base fabric, lining it up with the placement line. This helps it stay put.
Put the hoop back on the machine if you removed it.
Start the machine.
The machine will stitch the tack down line just inside the placement line. This stitch holds your applique fabric down.
Stop the machine.

Step 3: Trim the Applique Fabric

This is a manual step where you do the work. The machine design will have a stop here.

Take the hoop off the machine, but do not remove the fabric from the hoop.
Lay the hoop flat.
Use your sharp applique or embroidery scissors to carefully trim away the extra applique fabric outside the tack down stitch.
Cut close to the tack down stitch but be very careful not to snip the stitches or the base fabric. This is where sharp, small scissors help a lot. Getting a nice, clean trim here makes the final stitch look much better.
If you are doing a raw edge applique machine design, you might trim further away from the stitch, or the design might have skipped the close tack down stitch entirely, relying on a looser stitch to hold the deliberately frayed edge. But for most standard applique, trim closely.

Step 4: Stitch the Cover Stitch

This is usually the final stitch in the applique sequence and is often a satin stitch, zig-zag, or decorative stitch.

Put the hoop back onto the machine. Make sure it is seated correctly.
Change your thread to the color you want for your final border stitch.
Start the machine.
The machine will now stitch the cover stitch directly over the tack down line and the raw edge of your trimmed applique fabric. This stitch hides the raw edge and finishes the applique shape.
Let the machine finish stitching.

That’s the core of the machine applique steps! Your machine applique tutorial is almost complete.

Exploring Applique Embroidery Stitches

The cover stitch is what gives your applique its finished look. Applique embroidery stitches can vary.

Satin Stitch: This is the most common. It’s a wide, dense zig-zag stitch that completely covers the raw edge of the fabric. It gives a smooth, raised, finished look. The density (how close together the stitches are) is key. A dense satin stitch is needed for fabrics that fray a lot.
Zig-Zag Stitch: A simpler version of the satin stitch. It is less dense and doesn’t completely cover the edge. Sometimes used for a quicker finish or when a slightly less formal look is okay.
Blanket Stitch (E-stitch): This stitch looks like hand blanket stitching. It is decorative and often used for a crafty, homespun look. It doesn’t cover the edge as densely as a satin stitch, making it suitable for fabrics that don’t fray much, like felt, or for designs meant to have a visible raw edge (raw edge applique machine technique).
Decorative Stitches: Some designs use other decorative stitches like a zig-zag with gaps, a bean stitch, or a triple stitch for the final border. These are often part of raw edge applique machine designs where the charm is in the slightly unfinished edge.

The type of stitch is part of the design file. You don’t usually choose the stitch type on the machine unless the design offers variations. However, you can sometimes adjust the density or width slightly on your machine if needed.

Helpful Machine Applique Tips

Here are some extra tips to help you get great results:

Use Sharp Needles: A sharp embroidery needle works well for most fabrics. Change your needle often, maybe after every 8-10 hours of stitching.
Practice Trimming: Trimming neatly is crucial. Practice on some scraps first. Good applique scissors make a big difference.
Consider Fusible Web: Using fusible web or spray adhesive helps prevent the applique fabric from shifting while the tack down stitch is sewing and while you are trimming. This leads to cleaner edges.
Match Stabilizer to Fabric: Always choose your stabilizer based on the base fabric. Stretchy fabrics need cutaway. Stable fabrics can use tear-away.
Test Stitch: If using a new fabric or stabilizer, do a small test design on a scrap of the same material combination you plan to use.
Slow Down: For tricky fabrics or intricate designs, slowing down your machine can help ensure smooth stitching.
Pressing is Key: Pressing your base fabric and applique fabric smooth before hooping and stitching helps remove wrinkles that can cause puckering. Pressing after removing the stabilizer can also help the fabric lay flat.
Combining Techniques: You can combine applique shapes with regular embroidery elements on top or around the applique fabric. This adds more detail and interest.

Peeking at Applique Embroidery Software

While you can buy ready-made applique designs, some people like to create or change their own. This is where applique embroidery software comes in.

Software lets you:

How to Digitize Applique Design: You can take a shape (like a picture or drawing) and turn it into an applique embroidery file that your machine can read. This involves telling the software where to place the placement line, tack down line, and cover stitch.
Edit Existing Designs: You might want to change the size of an applique design, change the order of the steps, or alter the stitch types (like changing a satin stitch to a blanket stitch).
Combine Designs: You can add applique shapes to other embroidery designs or text.

Digitizing applique isn’t always simple, but software like Embrilliance Applique, Hatch Embroidery, or Wilcom Essentials makes it possible. They have tools specifically designed for creating applique files, making the process easier than digitizing complex embroidery fills. Learning how to digitize applique design opens up many creative options.

Finishing Your Applique

Once the machine finishes the cover stitch, you are almost done!

Remove the hoop from the machine.
Carefully take the fabric and stabilizer out of the hoop.
Remove the extra stabilizer from the back. If using tear-away, gently tear it away from the stitches. If using cutaway, use scissors to carefully cut away the stabilizer about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the stitching. Try not to cut the base fabric.
If you used wash-away stabilizer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to dissolve it (usually soaking or rinsing).
Trim any loose threads from the front and back.
Give the finished piece a final press from the back, being careful not to flatten dense stitches too much.

Your beautiful applique is now complete!

Summary of Machine Applique Steps

Let’s quickly recap the main machine applique steps:

Prepare: Gather supplies, choose fabric, stabilizer, and design.
Hoop: Put base fabric and stabilizer in the hoop.
Placement Stitch: Machine stitches the outline.
Place Fabric: Lay applique fabric over the outline.
Tack Down Stitch: Machine stitches to hold applique fabric.
Trim Fabric: Manually cut away extra applique fabric.
Cover Stitch: Machine stitches the final border (satin, zig-zag, etc.).
Finish: Remove from hoop, remove stabilizer, trim threads.

Following these steps carefully is key to success with your embroidery machine applique tutorial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: My applique fabric keeps shifting. What can I do?
A: Use temporary spray adhesive or fusible web on the back of your applique fabric before placing it. Make sure your base fabric and stabilizer are hooped tightly.

Q: The edges of my applique fabric are showing under the cover stitch. Why?
A: You might not have trimmed close enough to the tack down stitch. Also, check if the cover stitch in the design is wide enough or dense enough for the fabric you chose. Fabrics that fray a lot need a dense satin stitch.

Q: My base fabric is puckering around the applique. How can I fix this?
A: Puckering is often caused by not using enough stabilizer, using the wrong type of stabilizer for your fabric, or hooping the fabric too loosely or stretching it into the hoop. Make sure your stabilizer is appropriate for your base fabric (cutaway for knits!) and your hoop is firm like a drum.

Q: Can I do applique on towels?
A: Yes! Use a medium to heavy cutaway stabilizer. You should also use a wash-away topping stabilizer on top of the towel fabric to keep the stitches from sinking into the nap (the fluffy part) of the towel. Designs with a wider or denser cover stitch work best on towels.

Q: What is the difference between machine applique and in-the-hoop projects?
A: Machine applique is a technique used within an embroidery design to apply fabric shapes. In-the-hoop (ITH) refers to projects that are made entirely inside the embroidery hoop, often including construction steps like sewing seams. Applique is frequently part of an ITH project, but applique itself is just about attaching the fabric shape.

Q: Do I need special needles for applique?
A: A standard embroidery needle usually works fine. However, if you are working with thick fabrics like felt or layers, a sharper or slightly larger needle might be helpful. Always use a sharp needle.

Ready to Stitch!

Now you have the steps and knowledge to start doing applique with your embroidery machine. It’s a rewarding way to add color, texture, and unique designs to your projects. Start with a simple design and basic fabrics like cotton, and as you get more comfortable with the machine applique steps, you can try more complex designs and fabrics. Happy stitching!