What is appliqué?

A cartoon girl with goggles, green dungarees and orange hair smiling

Appliqué is a method that has been used to decorate products for thousands of years.

Pieces of fabric in different shapes and colours are attached to a larger piece of fabric to make a picture or pattern.

Usually, it is used to decorate soft items that are made from fabric, rather than those made from harder materials.

How are appliqués attached?

Appliqués can be attached to fabric by gluing or sewing.

When sewn on, the appliqué pieces can be attached using different stitches.

Have a look at the slideshow below to see some examples of how appliqué pieces can be attached.

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Image caption,
Running stitch and backstitch
Appliqué pieces can be attached using a running stitch or a backstitch around the edge of the patch. Often the stitches are made by hand, using a needle and thread. Sometimes the appliqué is attached using a sewing machine.
Image caption,
Overstitch
Another way of attaching the appliqué pieces is by using an overstitch over the edges of the patch.
Image caption,
Glue
Appliqué pieces can also be glued onto the item with fabric glue. When appliqué patches are glued on, they need to be made of thick or layered fabric, so that the glue doesn’t show through once it is applied. When using strong glues, always wear gloves and ask an adult to help.

What can appliqué be used for?

Close up of hands sewing an appliqué flower onto a cushion — Image caption,
An appliqué flower being sewn onto a cushion to add colour

Appliqué can be used to decorate almost anything made out of soft materials, as long as the fabric it is being attached to is strong enough to hold it.

It is common to see appliqué decorations on items such as:

banners – to make letters or decorations stand out
clothing – to help to the item
quilts and cushions – to add soft patterns to the product

Key words

Running stitch	A running stitch is a line of stitches that go in and out of the material, with a small gap between each stitch.
Backstitch	A backstitch is similar to a running stitch, but it has additional stitches between the gaps, forming a stronger join.
Overstitch	An overstitch is a stitch where the needle and thread go over the edges of the material from front to back, in order to keep them closed.
Customise	To personalise something or make it more suitable to someone’s taste or needs.

Quiz: True or false?

Time to test your knowledge of appliqué with this quiz.