Multi-Piece Heirloom Applique

Applique embroidery uses pieces of fabric to cover areas in designs. Heirloom applique designs use a blanket stitch, or E-stitch, to finish the edges. The result is a classic and cozy look for garments and home decor. Follow these tips and tricks to learn how to embroider a heirloom applique design that uses multiple pieces of fabric.

When you download the multi-piece heirloom applique design, you will find multiple files. Some are the embroidery files, and the 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.

Dielines are embroidery designs. Open the dieline with embroidery software. Look at it to see which parts of the design are filled with fabric. In this example, the owl's body, stomach, and wings use applique fabric. The dieline shows four fabric pieces to be used. Print the dieline four times.

When working with heirloom applique designs, use fusible web to bind the applique fabric to the base fabric. Peel back one side of the fusible web, and smooth the applique fabric on top.

Place the dieline on top of the fabric and fusible web, and cut out the shape.

Repeat for each applique piece that you'll use in the design.

Now that the applique pieces and fusible web is cut to the right shape, it's time to embroider the design. Hoop the towel with one piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer. Load the full applique design (not the dieline) to your embroidery machine.

The color change sheet for the design shows the stitching order. First up is an outline for the owl's body.

Take the fabric for the owl's body and peel back the fusible web. Place that right in the stitched outline.

A tackdown, or zigzag, stitches next, and that binds the applique fabric to the towel.

The next thing to stitch is a dieline for the stomach fabric piece. Peel back the fusible web, and place that right in the stitched outline.

And then, the wings. Peel back the fusible web, and place the wings right in the stitched outline.

Other elements will stitch, like the eyes and cupcake detail.

After the design has finished, take the towel out of the hoop. Cut the excess stabilizer away from the back. I leave about a half inch of stabilizer around the design.

Most fusible web will advise that it be pressed to permanently adhere the fabric. Check the package instructions for those details.

Multi-piece applique designs are a wonderful way to incorporate your favorite colors, prints, and patterns in your embroidery projects.