Making a Hand Embroidery Appliqué - Part 2

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend. This weekend I have been catching up on a few projects, including my hand embroidered appliqués, that I mentioned several weeks ago. My plan is to make an apron; but as I mentioned before, I needed to do something to repair a hole in the fabric and I think that an appliqué was the perfect solution. Placing one flower seemed a bit skimpy, so I decide to add three flowers. My original plan was to do three different sizes, but I think in the end there is not a huge difference in the size.

I used a combination of chain stitch, running stitch and French knots. I really like the way it turned out and I think that the combination of stitches works really well for the pattern. I also changed the colours slightly, to give each flower a different look. I used two stands of embroidery floss, doubled the thread and knotted the ends together.

My appliqués have been sewn onto my fabric and I am excited to finish my apron. I will be sure to share with you the finished apron.

What do you think of the finished appliqués?

Making a Hand Embroidery Appliqué

I love making aprons, and this week I decided that I would make an apron from a vintage pillowcase I recently purchased from a thrift store. It is a beautiful cotton print, but there is a hole in the middle of the fabric. I was thinking of ideas on how to cover the area and decided to add an appliqué.

Using a white vintage cotton fabric (from a twin sheet), I cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover one of the flowers on the pillowcase. I placed the white fabric over one of the flowers and secured with pins. I then traced the outline of the flower onto the white fabric using a pencil. There are several other transfer methods I could have used; however, I found this to be a quick and easy method.

I plan on doing a basic running stitch over the lines in alternating colours and will fill the centre of the flower with French knots. I will attach the appliqué with a running stitch on the last row to secure it to the printed fabric. The final phase will be to cut away the excess fabric around the edge of the flower. My plan is to make a total of three flowers of varying sizes.

Do you like appliqués? What do you think of the idea of using an appliqué to cover a damaged area?

Profile: Anna Hewitt

In November 2010, I first connected with Anna Hewitt designer and founder of Seedling Design. After introducing her to Crafted Spaces and our profiles, we started down our journey of multiple emails and eventually a telephone interview. I was pleased to interview her for this Crafted Spaces Profile, and I hope that you will find it insightful.

Anna indicates that she studied Art at collage and throughout the years have sewn and expressed herself creatively. Originally from Maine, Anna and her husband recently moved to Minnesota; and amidst the many changes she decided to further explore her creativity. During the summer of 2010 Seedling Design showed its' initial sprout. This budding new business venture touches on the old fashion art of appliqué. Anna indicates that she loves the shapes and loves working with fabric.

Anna's designs are influenced by her work in community gardens and her commitment to conserving resources as part of daily life. She reuses materials and uses organic cotton where possible. Her market bags are also in support of the growing trend towards using reusable bags for shopping. Anna is continuing to develop her products and when asked what are her major influences; she credits the fabric and indicating that it shapes her work. Each piece essentially evolves out of the colours and patterns of the fabrics she finds.

"I also feel strongly that whatever I make should have a positive impact on people, the earth and our environment. Whenever possible I use repurposed or organic fabric and I strive to make things that can help you lesson your impact on the environment."

Anna identifies that working by herself has been her primary challenge. She has felt "isolated" and "uncertain" about how her work is being received. Like many others who first start off with a desire to work and live creatively, Anna currently works part-time and will like to make Seedling Design a primary business. However, as she develops her creative business venture, she tries to approach things in an organized way, keeping records and moving in the direction of a formal business plan. Her advice to others is to, "do something creative, creating is really important."

Anna currently sells her work on Etsy, but has indicated that "it can be difficult to standout." She has however, been "pleasantly surprised" with the response. She has also sold her work at craft fairs and hope to be in stores this spring. Her designs are practical and have a rustic, homely charm.

Anna also has a blog called The Road to the Farm where she shares her journey; and where since January 2011, she has also introduced interviews with other artist. Seedling Design can also be found on Facebook and have been featured on several Etsy Treasuries. However, when searching for her Etsy shop, please note that there is a Seedling Designs that has jewellery on the same site.

When I think of appliqué, I am filled with fond childhood memories of my great-grand-mothers aprons and table runners. This wonderful art form has been done for centuries; skilfully sewing one or more pieces of fabric onto a larger background to create a landscape of colour and shapes. It is employed by many quilters and perhaps even your mom. If you will like to explore more about appliques, perhaps the following books are a great place to start; Sew Liberated by Meg Mcelwee and Applique: Craft Workshop Series by Petra Boase, both of which have great projects and illustrates various techniques.

*All images contained in this post are courtesy of Anna Hewitt.

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Join us again as we bring you an inspirational profile, that looks at two mompreneurs who shared with us their new creative business venture. You are also invited to read and view our other profiles and reviews.

Updated 12/12/13