Take applique to the next level with reverse applique embroidery! Cut a silhouette out of your main fabric, then add applique fabric to the back. We'll show you how!
Supplies & Materials:
- Craft knife
- 1/4 yard of quilter's cotton
- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive (Gunold KK100)
- Masking tape
The designs used in this tutorial include:
When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files, and others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.
We also recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)
Spray the backside of the printed dieline with a small amount of temporary adhesive. Smooth it onto a piece of fabric.
Cut out the shape. Remove the paper.
Now that the fabric piece is cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.
Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer, and smooth it onto the back of the fabric behind where the embroidery will sew.
Then hoop the fabric and stabilizer together, making sure there are no wrinkles.
Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline file).
Begin to embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a details of the design.
Then, the inner cutline will embroider.
Watch the color change sheet, and stop the machine before sewing the tack down step.
After the cut lines have sewn, remove the hoop but do not unhoop the fabric.
Place the hoop onto a cutting pad. Then, using a sharp craft knife, carefully cut out the opening by cutting along the inner cutline.
Make sure to remove all of the thread from the inner cutline stitching, so that they do not show on your final product.
Also make sure to cut through both the fabric and the cutaway stabilizer.
Next, take your fabric dieline, and carefully tape it onto the back of the hooped fabric behind the embroidery, making sure the right side of the fabric piece is facing down, so you can see it on the embroidered side.
Make sure to also place the fabric dieline, so that it covers the entire cut hole.
If desired, spray the edges of the right side of the dieline with temporary adhesive instead of using tape.
Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue the design. A tackdown will sew next. This holds the reverse applique piece in place.
Some designs have embroidered details that sew on the reverse applique piece after the tackdown and some designs do not. Follow the color change sheet and embroider the rest of your design.
After the embroidery is finished, carefully remove the tape from the back of the design.
Reverse applique designs add unique texture to pillows, towels, and more. Play with using different fabrics for both the main fabric and the applique fabric to get different layered effects and looks.
