Applique
If you get bitten by the applique bug nothing is safe in your house. Of course, applique is common in quilting but it also works well on pillows and clothing. Kids love personalized t-shirts!
This section includes some of the larger patterns but there are hundreds of patterns in the embroidery section that are well suited for applique too.
I’m not a fan of filling in with satin stitches so I’ll cut an applique in the desired color and work blanket or running stitches around the edges. For speed, I cut off the seam allowance on the pattern (if there is one) and zig zag around the edges with my trusty (and old) Bernina sewing machine. If more definition is required in the outline then a few strands of embroidery floss, perle cotton or crochet thread can be couched down (simply laid at the edge) using a longer and wider zig zag stitch. At any rate, a backing of some sort like fusible interfacing or double sided Pellon Wonder Under, Heat N Bond, etc. under the applique will keep the applique smooth and pucker free. Lightweight is best especially if your appliques are stacked. Tearaway paper used for machine embroidery also works well under the ground fabric and I’ve also used lightweight tracing paper which isn’t too bad for picking out the bits under the zig zag.
Free Applique Patterns