Choosing Applique Shapes

I LOVE to applique. On pretty much anything. Ever since I learned how to do it, I've been unstoppable.

What I love most about applique is that it's so versatile. You can applique on almost anything and you can applique almost any shape. You don't need to buy special books in order to find the shapes - you can find applique shapes just by googling.

What you're looking for are clip art designs that have pieces that you can dissect into an applique shape.  If you look closely at the animal faces on this quilt, you'll see that I started with the largest piece on the bottom, and then added the smaller pieces layer by later to form the animal. On the blue zebra, for example, I started with the "body" piece, which is the medium blue, Then, the light blue nose piece was added, and finally, the dark blue hair (?) part and the nostrils. I embroidered the eyes last.



To find applique shapes:

1. Search for clip art images that relate to the shape you want to applique.
2. Choose a design that is SIMPLE and has parts that you can easily trace.
3. Mirror the image before you print it!!
4. Follow your normal applique technique steps.

When I made the peace sign onesie, I just searched for "peace sign clip art" in Google Images. I found this:

Some of those will make great applique shapes - some won't. Remember, you always want the most basic shape. The first shape is good, but the lines are pretty thin. Ultimately, I ended up using this one.

You can choose whichever one makes the most sense for your project, but the thicker the lines, the easier it will be.

You can do this with more complicated shapes, too. Say you want to applique a puppy.

You have a lot of options here, and almost all of them will work. Remember that you want to look at the shape like layers. On any of these, you'd first applique what is at the back (like the ears), and then layer the face and nose on top.

Does that help make sense of choosing applique designs? I'm not an expert, but hopefully this clarifies the process a bit and makes you want to tackle some applique designs yourself!

Tag Blanket Tutorial

Thanks for all your kind words about the tag blankets I made for my cousins! This is becoming my go-to baby gift... they're fun to make, they're a unique gift, and they go together pretty quickly.

The tag blanket I made using this tutorial is for my wedding photographer, who has become a friend of ours. Her first baby is due this spring, and how perfect is this for the son of a photographer??

I promise this is a simple project - and it's also very forgiving. If your squares aren't exactly the same size, it won't matter! You're basically making a pillow, and then turning it inside out.

To start with, cut two squares out of any material. I like to use a soft minky fabric on the back to make it snuggly and add another texture. If you want to embroider or applique on one (or both) of the sides, now is the time to do it!

You can use any size squares. I generally use somewhere between 8" and 10", depending on the size of my fabrics. Any bigger than that and they'll be too large for a small baby to hold.

Next, cut your ribbons. You can use as many different colors as you want. I tend to alternate three. Three ribbons on each edge fit nicely without being too tight.

To achieve varied lengths, cut half the ribbons 4" long, and half 6" long. 

Fold your ribbons in half, and then pin them to the right side of one of your fabrics. Do this on all four sides.

Head to your sewing machine. Set your stitch slightly less than 1/4" from the edge so that the stitches will be hidden later. You can use any color thread here -- you'll never see it. Sew over the ribbon, then backstitch the entire ribbon. Sew over it one more time.

Ultimately, each ribbon will be sewn over 5 times, eliminating the potential choking hazard. Unless, of course, you let your baby play with the tag blanket and a seam ripper at the same time.

This is what they'll look like when you're finished.

Sewing the ribbons on all at once makes it easier to put the whole blanket together. Now's the time to cut any threads.

Put your squares together, right sides facing. Set your stitch for 1/4" from the edge, and stitch ALMOST all the way around the square. Leave about 2 inches on one side open so you can flip it.

This is what I mean about this project being forgiving. This doesn't matter. Love it.

Turn it inside out -- it's almost finished!

Head back to your sewing machine. Top stitch 1/4" from the edge around the whole square. If you're a really straight stitcher, contrasting thread would look fun. I'm not a super straight stitcher, so I use threads that blend in!

Make sure you fold the part you left open under while you're top stitching and sew it closed.

There you have it! A personalized baby gift that will be loved for a long time.

A closeup view for you.

And the back.

Good luck making many, many tag blankets for the babies in your life! Let me know if you have any questions -- happy sewing!

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