Stitch-and-Flip Applique

In this exciting new technique, creating pieced quilting in the hoop is a breeze! With only the batting piece needing a printed dieline, this technique is a great scrap stashbuster.

Each stitch-and-flip file comes with a PDF planning sheet guide of the design to plan out your piecing. You can use the colors recommended on the sheet or have fun coloring to match your creative vision!

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files and some are dieline files labeled with "DL". Dieline files are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. We 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 purchased made through this link.)

If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on dielines.

 Lightly spray the backside of the printed dieline for the batting piece with temporary adhesive. Smooth onto a piece of cotton batting. 

Cut out the batting piece, then remove the paper dieline. 

Hoop the main fabric with medium weight cutaway stabilizer.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline file.) The first thing to stitch is the batting dieline or outline. This marks the area on the fabric for the cotton batting to be placed. We are using a contrasting color for this tutorial so that it is easier to see. 

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the fabric. Spray the back side of the cotton batting lightly with temporary adhesive. Place the batting inside the sewn outline. 

Attach the hoop back onto the machine. A tackdown will sew next. This holds the batting in place for the remainder of the design. 

The next thing to stitch will be the piecing guide. The numbers that stitch on the guide indicate the order that the pieces are put down.

The design comes with a PDF planning sheet guide of the design to test colors and plan out your fabric piecing. The number order is also on the PDF to make the project easy to follow! 

 Now it’s time to start your stitch-and-flip fabric piecing! For this and all subsequent steps, take the hoop off the machine between each of the applique steps to avoid bumping the embroidery arm and causing misalignment.

The first section to sew is marked with the number 1 on both the PDF planning sheet and the stitched placement guide. Take your first piece of fabric and cut it to be roughly ½-1” larger on each side than its section. Place the first piece right side up over the first section. Secure it with a piece of masking or painter’s tape. 

Stitch the “first piece tackdown.” Then remove the tape. 

Using a pair of applique scissors, roughly trim away excess fabric that reaches into other pieced sections to be about ¼” from the tackdown line.

Cut the second fabric piece to be roughly 1” larger on each side than the section it will be stitched. 

Place the second piece with the right-side face down so that the edge of the piece overlaps the piecing guideline but is next to section 2, not on top of it. If you are looking at the stitched piecing guide, the numbers are attached to the line that the fabric should overlap.

On the PDF planning sheet, these lines are indicated with arrows. Once again, secure with a piece of tape. 

Stitch the “second piece stitchline,” then remove the tape. 

Flip the fabric over along the stitched edge so that the right side is facing up. The fabric piece will now be covering its section. Use a piece of tape to secure the fabric in place. For best results, try to have the tape on the edge of the fabric piece, away from the stitching area. 

After flipping, the next tackdown stitch sews. Remove the tape after stitching is completed. 

If you have a lot of fabric outside the tackdown that is covering up the piecing guide, it can be helpful to roughly trim away excess fabric using applique scissors to be about ¼” from the tackdown before embroidering the next piece’s stitchline. 

Repeat the previous five steps until all sections in the stitched piecing guide have been covered with the applique pieces. Stop before sewing the final border or any inner details.

Use applique scissors to trim excess fabric from around the outside border of the design. Cut as close as possible to prevent fabric from peeking out under the satin stitch finishing border.

The final step to stitch will be the outer finishing border. Depending on the design, there may be more than one color for the finishing border. 

Stitch-and-flip applique designs are a great way to work through your fabric scraps while creating an impressive, pieced quilting effect! You can use these to embellish sweaters, tote bags, towels and more!