Tips for Machine Appliqué

1. Make certain your machine is clean and in good working order.

2. Install a new size 60/8, 70/10, 75/11 or 80/12 sharp embroidery needle in your machine.

3. Wind a bobbin with cotton 60-weight embroidery thread or bobbin-fill thread.

4. Thread the needle with matching- or complementary- color 60-weight embroidery thread.

5. Set your machine for a zigzag stitch with a width between 1 and 1.5mm or about 1/8” wide. Set the stitch length just above (not at) the satin-stitch setting, or between .5 and 1mm.

6. If possible, set your machine in the “needle down” position and set the motor at half speed.

What’s the secret to smooth appliqué pieces? Using stabilizer! Place stabilizer beneath the foundation fabric before you being appliquéing. This will prevent unsightly puckers that pull at the foundation. Stabilizer is used beneath appliqué foundations to add support and eliminate puckers and pulling on fabric as you machine-appliqué.  Several stabilizer types are available—cut-away, tear-away, and wash away.

Experiment with a variety of types to determine which works best for you and your project.

Pivoting evenly around curves takes practice. Let these steps and tips guide you to making improved pivots.

The position of your needle is critical when pivoting fabric to round a curve or turn a point or corner. Use the following illustrations to guide you in knowing when to pivot.

In each case, you will need to place your needle down in the fabric before pivoting. In each illustration the arrows indicate stitching direction, and the dots mark where the needle should be down for pivoting.

TIP: Mark edges of circular or oval appliqué pieces with the hours of a clock. Pivot the fabric at each hour.

Learn about pivoting the machine needle in order to get smooth machine appliqué stitching.

Turning Corners – Method 1

With this method the stitches cross over one another in the corners.

1. Stop with the needle down in the fabric on the right-hand swing of the needle.

Turning Corners – Method 1

2. Raise the presser foot and pivot the fabric. Lower the presser foot and begin stitching to the next edge.

Pivoting Inside Curves

Stop at the first pivot point with the needle down in the fabric on the left-hand swing of the needle. Raise the presser foot, pivot the fabric slightly, and being stitching to the next pivot point. Repeat as needed to complete the entire curve.

Pivoting Outside Curves

Stop at the first pivot point with the needle down in the fabric on the right-hand swing of the needle. Raise the presser foot, pivot the fabric slightly, and begin stitching to the next pivot point. Repeat as needed to round the entire outer curve.

TIP: To maintain evenness between your stitches, pivot more often on a gentle curve than a sharp one.

Pivoting Inside Points

1. With a marking tool, mark a line extending from the upcoming edge of the appliqué into the center. On the line, measure from the point a distance equal to you stitch width; mark the location with a dot. 

Pivoting Inside Points

2. Stitch to the bottom of the inside point, stopping with the needle down in the fabric on the left-hand swing of the needle. The needle should be at the dot on your drawn marked line.

Pivoting Inside Points

3. Raise the presser foot and pivot the fabric. Lower the presser foot and turn the handwheel until the right-hand swing of the needle is just about to go into the foundation fabric. Lift the presser foot and reposition the foundation fabric the tip of the needle is above the point where the needle thread is coming out of the appliqué. Lower the presser foot and begin stitching to the next edge.

This machine-appliqué stitching is correctly placed.

The outside edge of the stitch is just grazing the appliqué foundation.

Watch this video to discover the secret to great applique!

This stitching is too far inside the edge of the appliqué piece, so fabric threads from the appliqué will fray and poke out around the edges.

Here the stitches are too far outside the edge of the appliqué piece, so it may pull loose from the foundation.

Gaps will occur in the stitching if your needle is down the fabric on the wrong side of the needle swing when you pivot.

Your stitches will slant if you try to pull or push the fabric through curves, rather than lifting the presser foot and pivoting the fabric.

Pivoting too soon on an inside point will leave an incomplete line of stitches at the point.