Applique Place Mats
Level-Beginner to intermediate
Reverse appliqué as the name suggests is stitching from the reverse side. This method allows you to add different color patches to your design with very little effort. In this technique, two or more fabrics are layered and stitched together, then sections of the fabric are cut away to reveal the color’s beneath, creating an original design with all colors.
Copy the given design on a square of a thin muslin 8×7 inches fabric or wash away stabilizer. It is important to see through the design.
Pin the copied design face up on the back of a square of black fabric lying face down.mark the center, trim it to 8×7 inches.Pin on the side and secure it.
Choose one red and one white fabric and two green fabrics for the Strawberry.Green shaded 3.5×4.5 inches (for the stem),green dark-5×4.5 inches (for leaves),red-5×5 inches (for strawberry),white 5×5 inches (for spots) These measurements are only for connivence and can be changed for personal comfort level and the idea is to use just enough fabric to cover the required part of the design but not too little as it will leave a gaping hole, too big will make the trimming harder.
Take the green fabric and carefully place it under the stabilizer covering the stem part of the strawberry, and face down on the black fabric.- Place the red fabric on top of the green face down and under the strawberry part of the design, Place the white fabric on top of the red fabric face down.
- Now carefully lay the green-2 fabric under the stabilizer face down arranging it to cover the leaf part of the design.
- Pin it securing all the layers. Now the design is right side up and all the layers of fabric are right side down facing the opposite way.
- Insert the free motion feet on your sewing machine, if your machine does not have this facility you can use the straight stitching feet. Put the matching color thread on the bobbin and on top.
- Keep the traced side of the square facing you under the sewing machine, insert green color thread both in bobbin and on top and trace the lines of the top portion of the strawberry by straight stitch,now finish the leaves below the same way.Change the thread color to red and finish tracing the straw berry.
- Take it out the machine and turn it around to see all the lines traced on the black fabric.
- Now carefully insert the sharp sessions inside the first layer of black fabric, just inside the stitch line and cut away exposing the green fabric inside.
- Cut the layers of black and any green remaining from the leaf above to expose the red. Cut away the black fabric to expose the leaf green too.
.Now take it back to the sewing machine and trace the spots on the strawberry by going twice around. Cut away the red fabric to reveal the white spots under.
- Set the machine to satin stitch and secure all the cut edges.Use the free motion feet to make the vines on the leaf. Trim the extra fabric and stabilizer from the back. Arrange the other pieces as desired and stitch with 1/4 inch seam allowance, press the seams open.
- The pieced place mat should measure 19.5x 12.5 at this point.
Place it on a back ground fabric, batting and quilt as desired. Quilt around the strawberry to bring up the design.Bind with black fabric.
Make two mats the same way.
Hope you enjoyed.:)
Portrait with Reverse Applique
