Applique technique on my overalls… – I Dream of Jeanne Marie

A few people were interested in how I did the applique on yesterday’s post, “Monkeys & Puppies & Lambs, Oh My!”
Applique is the easiest thing in the world to do, once you get your machine set up right. Some people call the applique stitch the Satin Stitch. Set your stitch length to somewhere between zero and 1. I have mine closer to zero, but not all the way. Set your stitch width to zig zag for as wide as you’d like. Most machines have at least 4 different zig zag widths. I usually do my applique stitch about 1/8″ wide, sometimes a little wider, depending on the fabric I’m stitching around. It needs to be able to catch the fabric along the edge. It should zig zag back and forth right next to each stitch, for an even, tight look. You don’t want it to stitch in the same place, but just slightly past each zig for every stitch.
I’m not sure I’m explaining it well enough… it comes easy to me, but it might be confusing to you… Just let know and if need be I can maybe show some pictures of the process.
Here are a few examples… maybe the pictures will be easier to tell what I’m talking about. (The store bought appliques were just ironed on beside the letters and then I used monofilament thread around the edges to help secure them.)

I’m assuming most people know how to use Wonder Under, but if not, let me know and I’ll do a post on it as well…

After you get all the pieces fused on the backs with Wonder Under, you start placing them where you’d like them to go. It’s just like pieces to a puzzle…. you get them all the way you want and then iron over them in an up and down motion, with a hot dry iron very carefully so they all stay in place. You build from the piece that is the farthest in the background… so if you are doing a face, you’ll put down the skin, then the eyes, eyebrows, nose holes, mouth, teeth, ears, hair… you build everything forward. Make sense?

I thought I’d show a few more pictures and some close up shots, so maybe this will help. Again, I apologize for some of the crummy pictures… My first camera wasn’t much of one…