A bold thread color adds a decorative touch to an applique.
Sewing enthusiasts can accent any piece of clothing or bag with a personalized letter applique. These appliques can form your initials, special words or your entire name. Making your own stenciled applique is not a difficult process. It is possible to save time by printing out a pre-formed stencil on paper and using it to cut out the iron-on fusing paper and the cloth applique. Proper placement and font choice are important in using lettered appliques. You want something bold enough to see, but easy to cut.
Selection and Placement
You will need to decide where to place the applique on the your clothing and what kind of stencil to use for the lettering. Many different free letter stencils are available for sewers to download and print, or you can make your own stencils with acetate paper. When choosing a stencil pattern, select a style that is easy to cut out. Scripts and serif fonts add interest, but they are time-consuming to cut. A heavyweight font will stand out. Prominent placement is important in using appliques, too. Consider placing a monogram on the left or right front of a shirt. These appliques also work when placed on the lower right or left corner of a shirt. Placing the applique on the thigh or bottom of a pant leg adds a cute, youthful look to clothing.
Printing or Creating a Pattern
If printing a pattern from a computer, open the pattern in an image editing program first. Edit the pattern size using the image size editor in your software. Check the size of the image on print preview before printing. Print it on fast draft on regular typing paper. If you plan to reuse the stencils later, consider printing on clear acetate paper.
For handmade stencils, use a marker, printing paper or acetate and ruler to draw out the letters. The straight edge helps a lot in creating a clean line on your letters. Cut your stencils out and place them on the clothing to check for size, placement and style preference.
Tracing the Pattern
Lay your stencil pattern onto a piece of iron-on fusing paper. Place the letter so that it is backwards. You will flip the stencil over to applique it. Also, place the stencil so that it lays on the smooth side of the iron-on paper. Trace the stencil in pencil. Remove. Cut out the shape. Take this shape and lay it onto the applique fabric. If using a patterned fabric, place the iron-on paper against the wrong, non-printed side of the fabric.
Applying the Applique
Apply the iron-on paper to the fabric with a hot iron. Preheat the iron, then set it to low to medium heat, or just hot enough to activate the glue. Press the iron firmly against the paper for several seconds and lift. Repeat. Once the paper has cooled, you can cut off the excess fabric around the applique. Lift off the paper, which leaves behind the glue on the cloth. Press your applique to the piece of clothing. You can now sew it into place to secure it. To sew it quickly, use a straight stitch around the inside edge of the applique. A zig-zag stitch set to a short stitch length, around the border, will also prevent fraying.
