Have you seen those fun designs made with fabric pieces sewn onto clothes or bags? That’s applique! People often ask, “What is applique on an embroidery machine?” It’s a way to add fabric shapes to your projects using your embroidery machine. It’s not too hard, even for someone new to embroidery. You can do applique on most home embroidery machines. This guide will walk you through each step.
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What is Machine Applique?
Machine applique uses your embroidery machine to cut out and sew fabric shapes onto another piece of fabric. The machine stitches lines that show you where to put your fabric pieces. Then, it sews them down. Lastly, it stitches a border, often a satin stitch, to cover the raw edges of the fabric shape. This makes designs like letters, shapes, or parts of pictures.
Why Use Your Machine for Applique?
Using your embroidery machine for applique makes it much faster and more exact than sewing by hand. The machine does the stitching perfectly every time. This means your shapes look smooth and your edges are neat. It opens up lots of design ideas for clothes, home decor, bags, and more.
Things You Need for Machine Applique
Getting your supplies ready is the first step. Having the right stuff makes the job easier and gives you a better result. Here are the best tools for applique embroidery:
- Embroidery Machine: Of course, you need a machine that can do embroidery.
- Hoops: You need a hoop that fits your design.
- Fabric: Two kinds – the main fabric you sew onto and the fabric for your applique shape.
- Thread: Embroidery thread for the outline stitches. Bobbin thread too.
- Stabilizer: This is very important! (More on this soon).
- Applique Scissors: Small, sharp scissors with a bent handle are best.
- Temporary Spray Adhesive: Holds the fabric pieces in place.
- Paper or Tear-Away Material: For some steps.
- Design File: An embroidery machine applique design file.
Picking Your Stuff
Let’s look closer at some important choices you need to make.
Picking Your Design
You need a special design file for machine applique. These designs have stopping points built into them. They tell your machine when to stop so you can place or trim fabric. Look for embroidery machine applique designs made just for this. They usually have at least three stitch lines for each applique shape:
- Placement Line: Shows where the fabric shape will go.
- Tack-Down Line: Sews the fabric shape in place.
- Cover Stitch: Sews over the edges to make them neat.
Picking Your Fabrics
Choose fabrics that work well together. Think about color and pattern.
- Main Fabric: This is the fabric you hoop. It should be stable enough to hold the stitches. Cotton is a common choice.
- Applique Fabric: This is the fabric you will cut into shapes. Quilting cotton works well because it doesn’t stretch much.
Wash and press your fabrics before you start. This stops them from shrinking later.
Picking Your Thread
You will use embroidery thread for the stitches you see. Pick colors that match or stand out from your fabrics. Polyester or rayon embroidery threads are good choices. Make sure your bobbin is filled with bobbin thread.
Picking Your Stabilizer
Stabilizer is key for good machine applique. It supports the fabric and stops it from puckering or stretching while the machine stitches. Choosing the right stabilizer for machine applique depends on your main fabric and design.
Here are common types:
- Cut-Away Stabilizer: Stays with the fabric after sewing. Use for knit fabrics or unstable materials. It gives lasting support.
- Tear-Away Stabilizer: You can tear it away easily after sewing. Good for woven fabrics that don’t stretch much.
- Wash-Away Stabilizer: Dissolves in water. Use when you don’t want any stabilizer left behind, like on delicate fabrics.
Often, you will use a mix of stabilizers. Maybe cut-away for support and a piece of tear-away on top. Always hoop your stabilizer tightly with your main fabric.
Doing Machine Applique: Step-by-Step
Now, let’s go through the steps for embroidery machine applique. This is your machine embroidery applique tutorial.
Step 1: Plan and Prep
First, decide where your design will go on your main fabric item (like a shirt or bag). Mark the center point lightly. Get all your tools and materials ready. Make sure your machine is threaded and the bobbin is full.
Step 2: Get Machine Ready
Load your chosen applique design into your embroidery machine. Put the correct size hoop onto the machine.
Step 3: Hoop Your Item
This is a very important step. Lay your chosen stabilizer over the inner hoop. Then, lay your main fabric centered over the stabilizer. Place the outer hoop over the fabric and push it down to hold everything tight. Make sure the fabric and stabilizer are smooth and tight like a drum head. There should be no wrinkles. This helps stop your fabric from puckering.
Put the hooped fabric onto your embroidery machine.
Step 4: Sew the First Line (Placement Line)
Your machine will sew the first set of stitches. This is the placement line. It shows you exactly where the applique fabric needs to go. The machine will stop after sewing this line.
Step 5: Put Down Fabric (Placing Applique Fabric)
Now, take the hoop off the machine. Do not unhoop your fabric!
Get your applique fabric piece. It needs to be big enough to cover the placement line completely. Make it a little bit bigger than the shape. Place this fabric piece over the placement stitches. Make sure it covers all the stitches fully.
You can use a small amount of temporary spray adhesive on the back of your applique fabric piece. This helps it stick to the main fabric so it doesn’t move. Just a little bit is enough.
Put the hoop back onto the machine.
Step 6: Sew the Second Line (Tack-Down Line)
The machine will now sew the second line of stitches. This is the tack-down line. It sews your applique fabric piece firmly onto the main fabric, right on top of the placement line. The machine will stop again after this step.
Step 7: Trim Extra Fabric (Cutting Fabric for Applique Embroidery)
Take the hoop off the machine again. Do not unhoop the fabric!
Now you need to cut away the extra applique fabric that is outside the tack-down line. This is cutting fabric for applique embroidery.
Carefully lift the edge of the applique fabric shape. Use sharp applique scissors to trim the extra fabric very close to the tack-down stitches. Be very careful not to cut the tack-down stitches or the main fabric underneath! The curved tip on applique scissors helps you do this safely.
- Tip: Go slow and take your time. Lift the fabric slightly as you cut.
For small or tricky shapes, you might find it easier to trim while the hoop is still on the machine arm. Just be extra careful!
Once you have trimmed all the extra fabric away, put the hoop back onto the machine.
Step 8: Sew the Finish Line (Cover Stitch)
This is the final step of stitching for this applique shape. The machine will sew a stitch that covers the raw edge you just trimmed. Often, this is a satin stitch, which is a wide, dense zigzag stitch. It makes a smooth, finished edge.
Sometimes the design might use a different stitch, like a zigzag or a blanket stitch. This depends on the embroidery machine applique designs you chose. A blanket stitch gives a more handmade, craft look, which is great for raw edge applique embroidery (more on that next).
The machine will finish sewing this stitch and stop.
Step 9: Take Out Hoop & Clean Up
Remove the hoop from the machine. Take your fabric out of the hoop.
Carefully remove the stabilizer from the back of your project. How you do this depends on the type of stabilizer you used (cut-away, tear-away, or wash-away).
Trim any jump threads. Press your project gently from the back if needed.
You have completed one applique shape! If your design has more shapes, the machine will repeat steps 4 through 8 for each one.
Going Raw Edge
Sometimes you might want a more relaxed look with fuzzy edges. This is called raw edge applique embroidery. With this method, you don’t usually use a dense satin stitch to cover the edge. Instead, you might use a simple zigzag stitch or a blanket stitch.
For raw edge applique embroidery:
- Follow steps 1-7 as above (placement line, tack-down, trim).
- For step 8, the design will have a less dense stitch line, like a zigzag or blanket stitch, instead of a wide satin stitch.
- After washing, the fabric edge will fray a little, creating the “raw” look.
This style works well for projects where you want a softer feel or a rustic look.
Tips for Newbies
If you are new to this, here are some tips for beginner machine applique:
- Start Simple: Pick designs with basic shapes first. Don’t try complex, tiny shapes right away.
- Practice: Use scrap fabrics to practice before sewing on your final item.
- Check Your Design Info: Read the instructions that come with your embroidery machine applique designs. They often tell you which steps are for placement, tack-down, and cover.
- Use Good Stabilizer: This is crucial. Don’t skip this step.
- Sharp Scissors: Good applique scissors make trimming much easier and safer.
- Go Slow When Trimming: Take your time cutting close to the stitches. This is where most mistakes happen.
- Test Spray Adhesive: Try your temporary spray adhesive on a scrap first to make sure it doesn’t stain or damage your fabric.
Fixing Common Snags (Troubleshooting Applique on Embroidery Machine)
Things don’t always go perfectly. Here are some common problems and what to do about them. This helps with troubleshooting applique on embroidery machine.
| Problem | What It Looks Like | What Might Be Wrong | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric Puckering | Main fabric looks wrinkled around the design. | Stabilizer is not right or not hooped tight. | Use stronger stabilizer. Hoop fabric and stabilizer tighter, like a drum. |
| Edges Not Covered | Raw edge of applique fabric shows under the stitch. | Fabric not trimmed close enough. | Trim extra fabric closer to the tack-down line next time. |
| Stitching Looks Messy | Stitches are uneven, looping, or breaking. | Thread tension is off. Needle is old/wrong. | Check thread path. Check machine tension. Change your needle. Use right needle size. |
| Applique Fabric Shifts | Applique shape is not exactly on the placement line. | Fabric wasn’t held well during sewing. | Use temporary spray adhesive or tape to hold the applique fabric down firmly. |
| Bobbin Thread Shows on Top | Bottom thread color is visible on the top side. | Top thread tension is too tight. | Lower your top thread tension. Check that your bobbin is in correctly. |
| Applique Fabric Fraying | Edges look fuzzy even with satin stitch. | Fabric frays easily. Satin stitch not dense. | Use a less-fraying fabric. Increase the density of the satin stitch in software (if possible). |
These are just a few common issues. If you have a problem, check your machine manual and online forums for your specific machine.
Tools That Help A Lot
Let’s talk more about the best tools for applique embroidery.
- Good Quality Scissors: This is non-negotiable. Those small, bent-handle applique scissors (like Duckbill scissors) are designed specifically for cutting fabric close to stitches without snipping the base fabric. Get the sharpest ones you can.
- Temporary Spray Adhesive: This is a lifesaver. It stops your applique fabric from moving between the tack-down and cover stitches. Look for one made for fabric. It should hold well but be repositionable and wash out easily.
- Design Software (Optional): While not strictly needed just to do applique, software lets you change embroidery machine applique designs. You can resize them, change stitch types (like satin to blanket stitch), or combine designs.
- Different Presser Feet: Your machine likely came with a standard embroidery foot. Sometimes, a different foot might help, but often the standard one works fine for most applique.
- Needles: Use the right needle for your fabric. A sharp embroidery needle is usually best. Change your needle often – a dull needle can cause skipped stitches or damage fabric.
Having the right tools makes the process smoother and more fun.
Keeping Your Applique Nice
Once you’ve finished your applique project, you want it to last.
- Washing: Check the care needed for all the fabrics you used. Wash gently, maybe by hand or on a delicate cycle. Use cool water.
- Drying: Air drying is best for items with applique. If you use a dryer, use low heat. High heat can sometimes affect the threads or stabilizer left behind.
- Ironing: Iron from the back of the fabric, on a low to medium heat setting. Avoid ironing directly on top of dense satin stitches if possible, as it can flatten them.
Questions People Ask
Here are answers to questions people often have about machine applique.
- Can I use any fabric for applique? Not any fabric. Woven fabrics like quilting cotton are best for the applique piece because they don’t stretch and are easy to cut. Stretchy fabrics are harder to manage. Your main fabric needs to be stable or made stable with stabilizer.
- Do I have to use spray adhesive? No, you don’t have to, but it helps a lot with placing applique fabric accurately and keeping it from shifting. You can also use temporary fabric glue sticks or a few pieces of tape outside the stitch area.
- What’s the difference between applique and in-the-hoop (ITH) projects? Applique is a technique used within a design. ITH projects are designs where you make a whole item (like a coaster or a small bag) entirely in the embroidery hoop. Many ITH projects use applique as part of the design.
- My satin stitch isn’t covering the edge. Why? You might not have trimmed close enough to the tack-down line. Or the satin stitch width in the design file might be too narrow for the fabric you used. Make sure your stabilizer is correct and your fabric isn’t puckering, which can also make the edge look uneven.
- Can I design my own applique shapes? Yes, but you need special digitizing software. You have to create the placement line, tack-down line, and cover stitch line in the software, making sure there are stops between steps.
Wrapping It Up
Learning how to do applique on an embroidery machine is a great way to add fun, colorful designs to your projects. It takes a little practice, especially the cutting step. But once you get the hang of the steps for embroidery machine applique, you’ll find it opens up a whole new world of creative ideas. Gather your best tools for applique embroidery, pick some simple embroidery machine applique designs, and give it a try! Happy stitching!