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    Home » DIY Projects

    Raw Edge Applique - A Basic Tutorial

    June 16, 2021 by Patti Estep 2 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Raw edge applique of a jar of flowers.
    Two images of appliqued vase with flowers. Top is the entire work and bottom is a close up.
    Raw edge applique of a mason jar vase with flowers.

    Cut out pieces of fabric in fun shapes and sew them onto a background for an interesting art technique called raw edge applique. Use your art to create wall hangings, pillows, or other home decor items.

    A mason jar vase with flowers in a raw applique style.

    Here's another fabric craft that's new to me. It's called raw edge applique. Basically, all you are doing is creating a fun scene with fabric cutouts and applying it to a background fabric. You glue your pieces down and then you sew just inside the edges for permanency, leaving a raw edge, and more importantly an artistic flair to the piece.

    Graphic of mason jar vase with flowers.
    Feel free to right click and print this patter for yourself.

    Steps for Creating Raw Edge Applique

    1. Create a pattern on the computer or use mine (shown above).
    Mason jar vase with flower graphic traced with carbon paper on canvas fabric.

    2. Transfer the pattern to a fabric backing using carbon paper. I used some leftover drop cloth material but you can use plain cotton or muslin too.

    Drop cloth fabric with flowers in a mason jar traced on top.

    Now that you have your backing fabric with a traced pattern you need to add fabric pieces to the different shapes.

    Fabric glue bottle and canvas with different printed fabric shapes of flowers and a jar.

    3. Cut out the printed pattern pieces then trace them on scraps of fabric. I chose some burlap for the jar and bright colored cotton for the flowers.

    4. Glue the pieces in place and let them dry.

    Mason jar vase in burlap and fabric flowers appliqued to drop cloth fabric.

    5. Next, go to the sewing machine and sew around each piece outlining it with black or other contrasting thread. Be sure to sew just inside the edge of each piece. Over time the edges will fray giving the piece a nice rustic look.

    Continue sewing other lines and embellishments wherever you like.

    Tips for Sewing Raw Edge Applique

    This one is a little hard to do unless you are really good at sewing or you have lots of patience. However, I found the following to be helpful.

    • Practice on an extra piece of cloth to get the length of stitches you like first.
    • Use the slowest setting on your sewing machine.
    • Be sure to anchor your sewing with the needle in the down position as you make turns.
    • Try manually turning the wheel for difficult movements.

    How to Use the Applique Art

    • Frame your raw edge applique in a picture frame.
    • Make a hanging scroll with the art.
    • Create a pillow with the applique in the center.
    • Use it in a quilt.
    Raw edge applique effect on a drop cloth fabric of a burlap mason jar vase with colorful scrap cotton fabric flowers.

    This was very fun and I'll say that it does take some patience to move the fabric around on the sewing machine. However, I expect that all it takes is a little practice.

    Patti signature

    More Fun Sewing Crafts

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    Raw edge applique of a mason jar vase with flowers.
    Print
    5 from 2 votes

    Raw Edge Applique - A Basic Tutorial

    This fun raw edge applique fabric craft is easy to do and can be used in a variety ways that will show off your creative art.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Active Time20 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Sewing
    Yield: 1
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $0

    Equipment

    • scissors
    • sewing machine
    • Contrasting thread

    Materials

    • Fabric backing - canvas muslin or plain cotton
    • Fabric scraps - for each area of applique
    • Carbon Paper for tracing
    • Fabric or white glue

    Instructions

    • Print out the image above or create your own.
    • Trace the image with carbon paper on your backing fabric.
    • Cut out individual pieces of the pattern and trace them onto fabric scraps.
    • Glue the fabric scraps to the backing fabric.
    • Once dry sew around the inside edges leaving some to ravel over time.
    • Continue to sew other lines for stems and accents in the pattern as desired.
    • Frame or create a scroll wall hanging. You can also use it as part of a pillow or quilt.

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Annie Maier

      June 18, 2021 at 5:08 pm

      Hi Patti! Just looking at this joyful appliqué makes my heart sing! And thanks to your clear, detailed instructions, this is a project I can't wait to tackle!

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        June 19, 2021 at 6:24 am

        Thanks Annie. I think you'll have a lot of fun making this one. Enjoy!

        Reply

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