Sewing appliqués on garments is very easy to do and we are going to show you how. For our demonstration, we will use a top. However, you could also sew an appliqué on a skirt, dress, shorts or briefs. When you are done sewing the appliqué to your garment, you will be astonished at how simple it is and how elegant that garment looks.
Supplies:
- Dance garment
- Thread to match appliqué
- Straight Pins
- Safety Pins
- Needle
- Scissors
Directions:
Choosing Your Materials
When you choose an appliqué, your first consideration is the size of the appliqué that you will need. You will also need to consider the design of the garment and the design of the appliqué. You need to choose an appliqué that is conducive to the look you are trying to achieve.
For our demonstration, we are going to sew appliqués a bra. The key to sewing appliqués on a bra is to open the bra up so that it is laying flat on the table.
When sewing an appliqué onto a bra, it is important to consider how the bra fits. If the top of the bra has any gaps in the fit, this is where you can correct them. There are two ways to correct the gaps in the fit. You can either sew a running stitch along the top of the bra and gather the stitches up a little bit or you can put a little tuck or tucks in the top. Whether you do a running stitch or a tuck or tucks, you want to try and place these corrections where the appliqué will cover them. The appliqué that we are using in our demonstration could go in any direction. It does not have a top or bottom. So, you will need to decide which way you want the appliqué to go.
Lay the appliqués along the top of the bra and position them the way you want the appliqués to go. You may find that when using more than one appliqué there are flowers or some other designs in the appliqué that will interfere with the appliqués laying in a continuous line. In the case of our demonstration appliqué, there is a little flower on the end of the appliqué that would meet in the middle of the bra and unfortunately, they would interrupt the flow of the appliqués. Clipping the little flower off of each appliqué will allow a continuous line all the way across the top of the bra and the appliqués will appear as if they were one long appliqué.
Find the center of the bra and pin the first appliqué down slightly past that center line. Continue pinning the appliqué from the center point to the armhole of the bra. If at all possible, pin the appliqués so that they rise just a little bit above the upper edge of the bra giving the bra a pretty, feminine edge. Then, take the second appliqué and starting so that the appliqué slightly overlaps the first appliqué, pin it down in the same way as the first.
If you find that the appliqué puckers as you are pinning it to the bra, take a little tuck in the appliqué. Another way to fix the pucker would be to make a little snip in the appliqué that would allow you to reposition that portion of the appliqué. But, you need to be careful not to cut any threads in the appliqué that fastens sequins or pearls to the appliqué. If you do cut a thread holding down sequins or pearls, you will need to make sure that you tack them down again so that the sequins or beads do not fall off. If necessary, make the same alterations on the other side. However, since most women’s breasts are not exactly the same, that may not be necessary.
To ensure that the appliqués are positioned the same with respect to the top of the bra, turn the bra over. That will allow you to see if the portion of the appliqués that protrudes over the top is the same on both sides.
Sewing from the front of the bra can cause the thread to catch in the appliqué or the sequins and beads attached to it. Therefore, you should sew from the inside of the bra. Starting in the center of the bra, sew the appliqué along the top of the bra to the outside corner. Make sure that you do not catch the thread on the protruding design of the appliqué and that the thread is hidden in the design of the appliqué. An easy way to do that is to hold the appliqué and the bra in your fingers in such a way that your fingers prevent the loose thread from coming in contact with the appliqué, the sequins or the beads. Sew all your stitches about an inch apart all the way around the appliqué.
Before you sew down the other appliqué, turn the bra over and compare the way the appliqués look above the bra line. Then, repeat this whole procedure on the other side of the bra. When you are done you will have a beautiful bra that looks very elegant and nothing like the bra you started out with.
