appliqué

appliqué, sewing technique in which fabric patches are layered on a foundation fabric, then stitched in place by hand or machine with the raw edges turned under or covered with decorative stitching. From the French appliquer, “to put on,” appliqué is sometimes used to embellish clothing or household linens. Like patchwork (piecing), it is a method of constructing or embellishing quilts. (See quilting.)

Eighteenth-century American quilts often combined appliquéd motifs with pieced patchwork. Quilters cut printed motifs from expensive imported chintz—usually florals and birds, but sometimes animals—and appliquéd them to plain muslin in a process known as broderie perse (“Persian embroidery”). It remained a favourite technique for “best quilts” until replaced toward the mid-19th century by the elaborate appliqué patterns—wreaths, urns of flowers, sentimental and patriotic designs—of Baltimore Album quilts and other red and green floral appliquéd styles.

Like patchwork, appliqué designs were often inspired by everyday life, especially the flower garden. They also commemorated political and philosophical views. Nineteenth-century appliqué designs were often made in larger scale; as few as four blocks were needed for a full-sized quilt. The 20th century, especially the Depression era of the 1930s, produced its own crop of appliqué designs like Sunbonnet Sue and Dresden Plate, often embellished with embroidery and rendered in the pastels popular during the period. Large-scale Hawaiian appliqués feature abstract motifs inspired by local flowers and plants that are cut out of a single piece of folded cloth. They are usually made of solid colours rather than prints and are outline quilted around the motif in ever-increasing ripples.

Appliqué is used worldwide as a decorative technique for banners, clothing, and display pieces. Molas are made by the Kuna Indians of Panama by the reverse-appliqué technique in which the upper layers of cloth are cut away and turned back to expose the lower layers. The intricate paj ntaub (Hmong: “flower cloth”) made by Hmong women of Southeast Asia are delicate patterns executed in appliqué and reverse appliqué with embroidered embellishments. The designs are often based on natural objects such as the elephant’s foot, birds, or flowers. Arpilleras are made in several South American countries; landscapes, markets, village life, nature scenes, and other subjects are depicted in collages that combine patchwork, appliqué, and embroidery. The Kuba of the Democratic Republic of the Congo use appliqué and embroidery to decorate raffia-cloth skirts and panels.