Easiest Applique Project Ever (a mini tutorial)

I finally tried applique for the first time last week, after avoiding it out of fear that it would be tricky and frustrating and I'd hate it. Not so, friends, not so. I know that I'm reinventing the wheel here with this very brief "how-to", but this is what worked for me. So if you're also an applique novice, maybe this will help you out too!

Aside from your typical sewing supplies and whichever fabrics you'll be using for your applique project, this is the only other supply you will absolutely need:

Fusible web. I think most instructions would recommend using a lighter weight, but this was the only kind I had and I thought it worked just fine. This will adhere your applique piece to the main fabric so that you can sew without frustration. Yes please.

My project for Intro to Applique was to enhance a plain T-shirt for my girl with a cute fabric. Simple enough. And speaking of simple, that's the theme of the fabric I used: The Simple Life by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake. This fabric is just the sweetest and I wanted to highlight my favorite sketch from this design.

[caption id="attachment_382" align="aligncenter" width="467"] This photo makes the pink background look odd...the true color is more like the photo above this one.[/caption]

I found a plain aqua T-shirt in clearance at Old Navy for $2--the perfect backdrop for the project--that I thought looked cute paired with the pale pink background of the fabric.

So let's get started! I just went with a simple circle shape, so I found a small bucket with a top large enough to include the whole drawing.

Place the fabric right side down, then place the fusible web on top with the paper side up. Trace around, then press the iron on top of the paper to fuse the webbing to the fabric. Cut out the shape, then remove the paper backing.

Now place the applique piece on top of the shirt (or whatever you're fusing it to), and press in place. The last step is to stitch around the outer edges. I used a blanket stitch, but a narrow zig zag or zipper stitch would look good too. I suggest testing out a few different stitches on a scrap piece of fabric to see what you like, and to practice turning and keeping the stitching (relatively) in line with the applique piece.

And that's it! Sorry for the lack of more detailed photos, but I really wasn't sure if this project was going to end up remotely presentable or not. Maybe I'll make a more detailed tutorial in the future, but for now here are the basics.

My model wasn't really in the mood for modeling...hence the potato chip in her hand, used as bait by me to get her to (sort of) focus for a few seconds. Whatever you have to do, right? :)

And that's that! Happy Stitching.