What is Appliqué?

Appliqué is a special technique. 

It describes the method of sewing pieces of fabric on background to create an interesting design. 

There are many different appliqué methods, but my favorite one is the RAW-EDGE-APPPLIQUÉ. 

It's easy to learn and supports the sophisticated and modern character of a minimalistic quilt by using different fabrics and seams as a design element. 

Which sewing supplies do I need to use Appliqué as a sewing method?

- design template & fabrics

- scissors, pencil & fusible web

- iron

- needle & thread (matching to the fabric) / sewing machine

Appliqué: step-by-step instruction

step 1: 

Choose your favorite design element, which you want to apply on a background fabric. 

Take the fusible web, place it with rough side on the template and trace the outline of the element.

step 2: 

Roughly cut out the element on your fusible web, place it with the rough side on your fabric, which you want to apply. 

step 3: 

Iron both together and cut out the shape exactly on the lines.

step 4:

Remove the adhesive paper from the fusible web and place it with this side on the background fabric.

SECRET TIP: use a needle to scratch the adhesive paper (the paper will rip and you can easily remove it)

step 5:

Iron both and use a the buttonhole/zigzag/blanket stitch to the edges of the element's shape. 

All done!

Why Appliqué?

Appliqué is an easy method to create and realize different and difficult design elements on a quilt, which you couldn't put into practice with "normal" piecing techniques. 

quilt pattern NEWS designed by Brigitte Heitland and published in Zen Chic Inspired

How to use Appliqué?

Applique is an versatile technique. You can achieve different design effects and great vivacity. 

Interesting and contrasting color combination of fabrics and threads bring the quilt into a modern effect. A sophisticated and calm design is achieved by matching and consistent color schemes.

You can also play with the fabrics' colors and forms to create interesting geometric and non-geometric designs. 

In my book ZEN CHIC INSPIRED I introduce and show you a lot of different patterns and design elements. You can choose between super-sweet-reindeer-designs, quotes on quilts, graphic structures, and other great quilt inspirations!

quilt pattern BLACK AND WHITE designed by Brigitte Heitland and published in Zen Chic Inspired

 quilt pattern BLISS designed by Brigitte Heitland and published in Zen Chic Inspired 

quilt pattern PLAY, BABY designed by Brigitte Heitland and published in Zen Chic Inspired

Every pattern has a step-by-step-instruction, material list, ideas for fabrics and the best: sketched out templates! So, I already did the necessary preparations! Your are able to start directly sewing your favorites!

For everyone, 

who already has inspirations and ideas, but don't know, how to make their individual designed elements:

Don't worry - I'll give you a guideline!

There you can also learn, how to create design elements by yourself matching to your interior style and quilt design. 

I'm very excited to see your final quilts using the APPLIQUÉ technique! 

Use the hashtag #zenchicinspired to share your beauties with us quilt-addicts!

Have fun applying and sewing, 

Brigitte

BTW: Follow the link to explore more Zen Chic patterns, which include the technique APPLIQUÉ. Here's a little overview from some examples!

One pattern - Millions of possibilities!

Patterns are more versatile than you think

Everyone knows that kind of problem: 

You see a wonderful pattern - modern, sophisticated - absolutely lovely, but the color combination is completely different than your interior style. 

You want to sew that beauty, but you have no place in your house, that would go with it! 

To left the pattern in the store will break your heart, and your day ist ruined..

Trust me, I know that feeling!

But.. I have the solution!

No tears anymore!
Buy your favorite and I show you, how you can use that pattern to create a quilt, that will go well with your interior design! 

Step 1: 

Take a photo of the place, where the quilt will be. 

..Bedroom, Living Room..

That's the easiest way to capture the atmosphere and color scheme.

Step 2: 

Use a photo editing program or Moda's color palette builder to create a color palette of the color scheme. 

Step 3: 

Choose the right color portions, main and background colors.

Step 4: 

No Step 4!! 

You are already have your perfect color scheme and combinations, so look for the perfect fabrics in that colors and begin to sew the perfect quilt with your favorite patten!

Easier said than done?

I prove you the opposite! 

I have chosen SHAKING UP from my book Zen Chic Inspired as my favorite pattern. It's a super easy and sophisticated pattern, perfect for Beginners and also Pros. 

That's the color scheme example, which I have used in my book. Let's go..

Living room with deep and bright colors? 

You want to use that pattern with light and warm hues colored fabrics ? 

We can also change that color scheme with these 3 simple and easy tricks to adapt it to a

girly bedroom!

..or to a rustic design..

Or to a cozy bedroom in natural shades!

And that is how the final quilt will look like. It's perfect for the room, isn't it?

All steps are exactly explained in my book and demonstrated with pictures and examples. 

It also includes 12 totally different patterns with step-by-step instruction and color scheme examples!

Do you already have sewn one of my Zen Chic Inspired patterns? 

I'm always excited to see your beautiful final creations! So, use the hashtag #zenchicinspired, as Penie Papazian has done, to share your quilts with us sewing-addicts! 

I'm so glad that I'm allowed to show her beauties!

SHAKING UP quilted by  Penie Papazian

ON THE BALL quilted by Penie Papazian

There you can also see the effect of color combinations:

ON THE BALL colored by Brigitte Heitland

Different color palettes and color portions achieve totally different effects, so that every pattern goes well to every interior style! 

From country house style to modern black & white interior design, I'm excited how you have realized my patterns!

MerkenMerkenMerkenMerken

No Waste Flying Geese and a Huge Discount

Fragile (link zu letztem Post), a fabric line for modern quilts, ha

s hit stores these

days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I though

t of a huge

discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favo

rite ones

and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount beFragile (link zu letztem Post), a fabric line for modern quilts, haFragile (link zu letztem Post), a fabric line for modern quilts, haFragile (link zu letztem Post), a fabric line for modern quilts, has hit stores these days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I thought of a huge discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favorite ones and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount below.Fragile (link zu letztem Post), a fabric line for modern quilts, has hit stores these days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I thought of a huge discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favorite ones and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount below. zu letztem Post), a fabric line for modern quilts, has hit stores these days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I thought of a huge discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favorite ones and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount below.

Fragile, a fabric line for modern quilts, has hit stores these days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I thought of a huge discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favorite ones and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount below.

TWISTED GEESE 

turned out to be one of the bestselling patterns created for Fragile.

It takes the classic Flying Geese block, plays with directions and random amounts of geese and adds texture with some low volumes. These are btw from my line Modern Backgrounds Paper.

I like to use precuts in my patterns, and for this one I thought of using a Layer Cake for the Fragile prints. To make the most efficient use of fabric for such large Flying Geese blocks, I used the

NO WASTE FLYING GEESE TECHNIQUE

I will show you this technique in a quick overview. It’s totally easy to do and you will not have any wasted left over triangles as in other techniques.

You start with 5 patches and will end up with 4 Flying Geese units. One square from the FRAGILE Layer Cake is the base for the geese, four smaller squares from PAPER make for the sky.

Align the smaller PAPER squares in opposite corners of the FRAGILE square, mark the diagonal and sew ¼” away from each side of the drawn line.

Cut on the drawn line and press the sections open. You get a kind of L-shape. 

Place another PAPER patch in the background corner of one L-shape, draw a marking line and sew like described above.

Cut on the drawn line, press open to get two Flying Geese units. Do the same with the remaining L-shape and you will have four Flying Geese units in total.

All you have to do now is to trim it to the desired size and they turn out perfectly shaped.*

*Find detailed steps and measurements for the Twisted Geese quilt in the quilt pattern.

    

This quilt was such a fun to make and with all the textures it looks very cozy.

And I have more fun patterns for you:

PLUS IT’S SIMPLE

Uses all the saffrons in the group and adds some interest with chalk and graphite. The pluses are of an irresistible modern style and they are easy to sew.

WHITE AND LIGHT

Is an easy to sew quilt, so perfect for any beginner too. It also makes use of precuts, I started with 5 Minicharm Packs, so this saved me a lot of cutting time. For the background you can go with a clean white or as I did, with a bit of texture. I used again the PAPER line. The lap quilt is fresh like a summer breeze.

CONTRASTING

Is a more dramatic wall hanger. It tells the story of duality, black and white, night and day. The randomly thrown triangles in the middle part could be a horizon or silhouette of a town by night. I used one single Charm Pack, added solid accents in orange and turquoise and for the background I used the print “Almost Plus” from FRAGILE

Now to the special deal I have for you: You will receive our newsletter on Friday offering 

HUGE DISCOUNTS ON ALL ZEN CHIC PATTERNS

Up to 35%. So if you are planning to buy more than one pattern, sign up for our newsletter to get this deal

You will always find more Zen Chic Patterns on my website.

Have fun to explore what else you might like.



Happy quilting

Brigitte

s hit stores these

days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I though

t of a huge

discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favo

rite ones

and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount be

low.s hit stores these

days and I want to celebrate with you the new line. I though

t of a huge

discount I will offer for Zen Chic patterns, so you can grab your favo

rite ones

and start sewing with these modern prints. More about the discount be

low. low.