Reverse Applique Tutorial

Welcome to Day 9 of the PSCo 12 Days of Giveaways! 

We’re so excited to bring you another special treat to spark your creativity this holiday season. Today, we have Amanda from LoveCraftSew joining us on the blog. She’s sharing a fun and simple tutorial on reverse applique that’s perfect for adding a festive touch to your projects. 

Whether you’re looking to create personalized gifts or add unique details to your holiday decor, this technique is sure to inspire.

Grab Your Supplies & Let’s get started!

For this top I opted to use the Layne Dolman which is an all-time favorite for me. The next step is deciding what shape you would like to use for the reverse applique. I have found that simple shapes have the cleanest finish and look the best for this technique. 

My daughter wanted a festive holiday shirt so we picked out a tree shape for her top. I actually used my silhouette software to create this image of 3 trees. You can also easily google clipart images for this step and then print them out or you can project directly onto your fabric. I have a projector and prefer this method, so this is what is outlined here for you.

1. Once you have your pattern pieces cut and your image selected for your applique, you will project the image directly onto the front bodice piece. I was able to then easily adjust the zoom to my preferred size. Take the time to make sure you have a size that fits nicely onto your project.

2. After your image is sized properly you will trace it onto the wrong side (the interfaced side if using interfacing) with a heat erase pen. Trim your applique fabric down if needed and serge around the raw edges of your applique fabric to prevent fraying. 

Note: I used a woven fabric that easily frays so this step was necessary but if you are using knit fabric feel free to leave the edges raw here. 

3. Carefully pin the applique fabric to the back (wrong side) of your bodice front pattern piece. Use plenty of pins to avoid your fabric shifting.

4. Slowly sew over your traced lines to attach the applique to your shirt.

5. Optional: You can add decorative hand embroidery to the front of your shirt directly on top of your machine stitched lines.

Note: I used 3 strands of embroidery floss using an embroidery backstitch to outline all three trees. This gives a really clean finish with those extra details that really stand out!

6. Trim the bodice fabric off of the applique fabric. Be sure you are snipping ONLY the shirt fabric and not the applique fabric behind it. 

Tip: I like to pinch the shirt fabric with one hand while pinching the applique fabric with the other hand to separate the fabrics with your bodice facing right side up. Once separated make a small snip and then trim all around your appliqued shape getting very close to your stitching line but not snipping through it. 

Once you have trimmed all your shapes admire your amazing reverse applique - it's such a fun and unique detail! Finally, sew up your shirt per the pattern instructions and enjoy this fun addition to your wardrobe!