My friends J and D have been asking for hints on reverse appliqué. It's basically a process by which a hole in your background fabric reveals another fabric in whatever shape you like. Traditional appliqué neatly mounts fabric shapes on top of background fabric. This method is a little less bulky, and gives a slightly different look. The best book on the topic is called
Reverse Applique With No Brakez by Jan Mullen. I have followed her basic ideas, but added the cheat of a hidden layer to help turn seams more quickly and neatly.
Start with a piece of background fabric larger than your finished needs by at least 1.5 inches on all sides. Cut also a larger-than-needed piece of shape fabric and a piece of hidden fabric. I used for my hidden fabric woven fusible web.
Next I center the fusible web fuse-side-up on the background fabric and trace my shape. In this case, it's an ampersand. I will only trace the outside outline and ignore the two inner ovals for now. Sew on the traced line with a sewing machine set to a slightly short stitch.
Carefully cut away the hidden layer of fabric/stabilizer and the background fabric. Leave a scant 1/4 inch inside the sewn line. Trim off places the shape points in.
Clip curves up to the sewn line.
Cut into corners an an angle. The point is to prepare the shape for turning. Taking your time, fold the hidden layer though the hole of the shape and to the back of the background fabric. Use a hot iron to work the opening into a crisp version of what you want. Take out a point-turner for peninsula-type areas. If your hidden layer is fusible, you are sure to get sharp edges as long as you only iron the layers down when you mean it.
Now you have a top layer to put in front of the fabric you choose for the shape. You can blind-stitch the two layers together without worry that frayed edges will flip to the front. It's good appliqué results without tiny stitches and hard-earned experience!
To finish this design, I put the background fabric face-to-face with the hidden fabric and trace the two ovals for the middle of the ampersand. I sew around them with my machine and then slit the hidden layer enough to neatly fold it back. These last two inner parts of the ampersand will be appliquéd on top of the whole piece. (You could always repeat the reverse applique step and sink them behind the whole shebang. If you do, let me see, because it is sure to be impressive.)
Here's a completed version in another fabric combination. Future study: You could use this method and topstitch layers together with colored embroidery floss instead of a blind stitch. You could affix layers with a topstitch on the sewing machine. You could piece the back shape in multiple fabrics before you position it behind the hole in your background fabric. You could use a colored "hidden" fabric layer and then turn it to the back of your background shape with a little accent lip showing, and thereby frame the shape you intend for the focus.
What do you think of the overview J and D? Show me what you make, or tell me what you plan to make. I'll do the same for you!
Start with a piece of background fabric larger than your finished needs by at least 1.5 inches on all sides. Cut also a larger-than-needed piece of shape fabric and a piece of hidden fabric. I used for my hidden fabric woven fusible web.
Next I center the fusible web fuse-side-up on the background fabric and trace my shape. In this case, it's an ampersand. I will only trace the outside outline and ignore the two inner ovals for now. Sew on the traced line with a sewing machine set to a slightly short stitch.
Carefully cut away the hidden layer of fabric/stabilizer and the background fabric. Leave a scant 1/4 inch inside the sewn line. Trim off places the shape points in.
Clip curves up to the sewn line.
Cut into corners an an angle. The point is to prepare the shape for turning. Taking your time, fold the hidden layer though the hole of the shape and to the back of the background fabric. Use a hot iron to work the opening into a crisp version of what you want. Take out a point-turner for peninsula-type areas. If your hidden layer is fusible, you are sure to get sharp edges as long as you only iron the layers down when you mean it.
Now you have a top layer to put in front of the fabric you choose for the shape. You can blind-stitch the two layers together without worry that frayed edges will flip to the front. It's good appliqué results without tiny stitches and hard-earned experience!
To finish this design, I put the background fabric face-to-face with the hidden fabric and trace the two ovals for the middle of the ampersand. I sew around them with my machine and then slit the hidden layer enough to neatly fold it back. These last two inner parts of the ampersand will be appliquéd on top of the whole piece. (You could always repeat the reverse applique step and sink them behind the whole shebang. If you do, let me see, because it is sure to be impressive.)
Here's a completed version in another fabric combination. Future study: You could use this method and topstitch layers together with colored embroidery floss instead of a blind stitch. You could affix layers with a topstitch on the sewing machine. You could piece the back shape in multiple fabrics before you position it behind the hole in your background fabric. You could use a colored "hidden" fabric layer and then turn it to the back of your background shape with a little accent lip showing, and thereby frame the shape you intend for the focus.
What do you think of the overview J and D? Show me what you make, or tell me what you plan to make. I'll do the same for you!
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