Embroidery Applique is a popular embroidery technique in which pieces of different fabrics are sewn onto a base fabric either by inlaying or outlaying to form beautiful patterns and designs. It is a creative method of decorating fabric and makes use of metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, sequins or other materials to create eye catching patterns and designs. There are essentially two kinds of applique embroidery: Hand applique and Machine Applique. The Hand Applique method requires an embroiderer to sew the fabrics, who has to have knowledge of different stitches whereas Machine Applique involves embroidering using sewing machines.

If you are new to machine Embroidery appliques, get ready to have a lot of fun! These designs all stitch out quickly for a last minute gift idea or embellishment or for when you're in the mood to create something new out of something old.

Embroidery Appliques are not only fun and easy; they also allow you to really get creative by using up any stray pieces of fabric you've kept around. Then you can have even more fun by grabbing your scissors and cutting up those clothes you still have but haven't worn in years. The sequence of stitching is the same for all the applique designs. The first stitch to sew is the outline stitch, then the basting stitch to tack down your fabric. After the fabric is trimmed, the final stitches are sewn.

With added texture and details, embroidery appliques add unlimited design opportunities for anything you can dream up. You can add flowers, animals, trains, letters... anything! Traditionally, basic crewel embroidery stitches such as the blanket stitch was used to hand applique embroidery designs and do crazy quilting. The sewing machine is another modern option, but the concept is still the same: stitches cover the raw edges of a fabric shape applied on top of a larger piece of fabric.

Machine embroidery applique is done by using a zigzag stitch or satin stitch to go over the raw edges of the fabric. These stitches are available on nearly all standard sewing machines. If you are new to stitching, it is essential to practice on a sample first so you can adjust the tension and stitch width. If you're doing an applique pattern on a special computerized embroidery machine, it will outline the area then stop for you to trim away the excess fabric before it satin stitches the raw edges.

Thus, embroidery applique is used to embellish an inexpensive gift or to create something unique very quickly.