3 Tips for Preparing Your Materials Before Attaching Applique Pieces with an Embroidery Machine

If you have recently decided to learn how to do applique embroidery with a machine, you may feel a little unsure about how to prepare the fabric and applique pieces for attachment. If so, use one or more of the following tips for preparing your materials before attaching the applique pieces to the base fabric.

Iron Fabric Before Attempting to Attach Appliques

Before you attempt to attach the webbing to the back of the applique pieces or apply the pieces to the base fabric, iron out any wrinkles in the fabric. If this important step is not completed, you may have uneven designs.

Also, while you are embroidering around the applique pieces, any wrinkles or folds in the fabric may catch on the needle. When this happens, the fabric may pucker up, making it impossible to smooth out the design. This means you would have to start over by removing the stitching and webbing.

Use Tweezers to Handle Applique Designs

After attaching the webbing to the fabric and cutting out your applique designs, try not to touch the webbing with your fingers. Doing so could create a crease in the fabric.

Also, the oils on your fingers could stain the fabric or moisten the webbing before you have a chance to attach it to the base fabric. Instead of using your fingers, handle the applique pieces with a pair of tweezers.

Mist the Applique Pieces with Water Before Ironing

After positioning the pieces on your base fabric, you will need to iron over the fabric to melt the webbing so the pieces are anchored. However, sometimes, air pockets or older webbing could make it difficult for you to fully set the pieces onto the fabric.

To help with the process of melting and setting up the webbing, spray a light mist of water over the pieces before ironing. This small amount of water will soften the webbing enough so that the heat will fully and evenly melt it to the fabric.

However, make sure you iron immediately after misting the webbing. If you spray water on it and leave it for too long, it could become gummy and lead to a rough, uneven surface once it sets up.

Using the above tips can help ensure that your applique pieces go on smoothly before you start embroidering with the machine. If you have any further questions, speak with the representative at the crafts and hobbies store from which you purchased your machine, so they can give you additional tips for achieving the best results.

Share