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| An easier way to appliqué... |
I added appliquéd monograms to the finished organizer, but didn't do so in a conventional way. I used a quickie method that works for this type of application; i.e., one in which it's not going to be subject to much wear and tear.
Essentially, this is fabric fused to a medium stiff interfacing (I used Decor Bond), cut into shape, zigzag stitched around the edges and then glued onto the intended project. Quick, easy, and honestly, meant to be removable if circumstances change.
Preparation
Create your design template(s) on paper and gather required fabric, interfacing, fabric glue and thread. (You'll also need an iron and scissors, of course.)
Size-wise, for the purposes of making monograms for the quilted hanging file organizer project, the two large ones are contained inside a 5" x 5" (13cm x 13cm) box and the smaller one is framed inside a 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) box. I actually drew my own letters but if that's not your thing, you can use your graphics or word processing software to generate them.
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| The larger monogram is about 5" square... |
For any other shapes that you care to make, I recommend that you avoid strong angles and pointy pieces — like the stars that you'll see here — simply because stitching around those extremes is problematic.
Instructions
Step 1... Cut a piece of fabric to accommodate your design(s) and fuse it to your chosen interfacing.
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| Block fuse fabric to interfacing... |
Step 2... Use pattern template to transfer design onto the back of the interfaced fabric.
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| Trace onto back of fabric... |
Step 3... Cut out the shapes. (You may find a use for the remnants.)
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| Cut out shapes... |
Step 4... Carefully zigzag stitch around the perimeter of the appliqué. (You see what I mean about pointy parts not being optimal?)
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| Zigzag stitch around perimeter of shape... |
Step 5... Apply a thin layer of fabric glue to the back of the appliqué and press it into place on your project.
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| Glue onto desired project... |
Remember my hanging Christmas tree project from last year?
Well, it now has a star attached to it.
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| A star has been added to my fabric Christmas tree! |
What do you think? Isn't this an easy way of doing appliqués?
As I said, it's best for applications where the finished item is not going to be under any stress, like the projects featured here. (You probably wouldn't want to use this method for applying appliqués to kids' pants, for instance.)
And while you can always break out the seam ripper to "undo" actual appliqués, these ones will likely be easy to peel off if you change your mind.
Did you enjoy the whole series of "make your own bias tape, quilted hanging file organizer and faux appliqué" tutorials? If so, I've combined the contents of all three posts into one PDF that you can download from Makerist.
That is a great way to applique as an "after thought" applique onto something like you said that wouldn't get any wear and tear. But if I know from the beginning I would applique, I would stitch right onto the background fabric first, since you are stitching all around it anyway. This is also a good use for Decor Bond because it's flat and won't wrinkle.
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