February 2013 - Anita Goodesign

www.anitagoodesignonline.comEMBROIDERY DESIGNS • EVENTS • EDUCATIONTMFebruary 2013Volume 17Leather & Raw Edge Applique TechniquesTips, Tricks & IdeasIf you look at contemporary clothing you will see distressing techniques used often. We’vealso been noticing leather used a lot in applique designs and in the garment constructionitself. A lot of you may be afraid to work with leather or don’t have any experience withit. This section of the tutorial will show you how to do both leather applique and raw edgeapplique. The design we are using is from our Glamour Rocks Fashion collection. This designis perfect to demonstrate both techniques because it is a double applique.The first technique used in this designis raw edge applique. When the designreached the first applique section you willsee an outline stitch in the shape of thefirst applique sew out.Now its time to trim the first applique.Carefully remove the hoop from the machineand place on a flat table for trimming. Use apair of applique scissors and cut around thewhole applique. The width of the edge youleave will determine how much the appliquewill curl or fray. Always trim a little wider,you can always go back and trim more later.Lay your applique fabric so that it completelycovers the outline stitch area. For this appliquewe used a novelty knit that almost looks typedyed. If you use a knit for raw edge applique itwill curl when washed, if you use a woven itwill fray. Once the fabric is in place stitch thenext step. This is called the tacking stitch andit will hold the fabric in place.Return the hoop to your machine andembroider until you reach the next applique.6