Working with knits can seem intimidating but it offers endless possibilities for creativity, especially since so many of our garments come with built-in stretch. I recently purchased a long sleeve shirt that looked beautiful and chic on the screen but when I received it, was oversized and not fashionable, so a few adjustments were needed. Using the right tools and a dash of patience ensured the success of this project. You can use reverse-applique (RA) to add design or cover blemishes on garments or home decor. Give it a try!
Janome Supplies Required
Janome Continental M17 with ¼ hp foot and plate
Fabric and Notions Required
Plain T-shirt
coordinating polyester thread
Janome red tip needle
chalk pencil
pins
knit fabric for backing
design stencil
AccuQuilt Go! cutter (optional)
GO! Arabesque #3 55050 die (optional)
Instructions
Note: Reverse applique will be referred to as RA
As I have fallen in love with sewing and a plethora of techniques, applique and reverse-applique have been at the top of the list. I prefer raw-edge, reverse applique (RA) and that is what I will demonstrate here. As you venture out to try RA, on knits or any other substrate, experiment with what works for you and your stash!
Below is another example of RA. Note: I stitched all around to cover the flower shape with background fabric before trimming around the pedals. I will remove the basting stitches before including this sample into a project.
Let’s see this technique on a garment.
1. Choose a knit garment you would like to transform, maybe you have one that has blemishes from years of use or a new one that needs something special to make it pop.
2. Decide where the design will be and trace with chalk pencil or carefully use your AccuQuilt die cutter to cut out a design quickly (be careful not cut through both layers of the garment).
3. Smooth out shirt to view applique cut out (front of shirt view)
4. Place RA background knit fabric (navy blue) under applique cut out
5. Bring shirt front with applique cut out over the navy blue background fabric and pin carefully. Note: Make sure that the shirt’s back is not caught while pinning.
6. We are ready for stitching! The HP foot is ideal for sewing on narrow details. because it provides great visibility on all sides.
7. Remove each pin right before stitching to keep the fabrics from shifting (but not before). I used a stitch length of 2.6. Instead of clipping threads while sewing on narrow edges, I used the same stitching line to backtrack and continue stitching around the design without stopping.
8. Knits don’t unravel like traditional cotton, making it the perfect candidate for RA. Also, stitching further away from the edge provides greater stabilization.
9. Here is another close-up view of the reverse applique nearly completed.
10. Turn your garment inside out and trim excess background fabric carefully, at least ¼” from the stitching line.
11. The options are endless for working with knits. Changing the background color of your reverse applique, changes the overall look of your garment. That’s what makes it so fun to experiment and have fun with! Revitalize older garments or new ones for a new look that makes it pop or has low contrast.
Share your progress if you try it on the Janome Sewing Classroom facebook page or by using the hashtag #reverseappliquewithMaday on IG: sustainabletextiledesign
Happy Stitching!
Maday
