Behind the Scenes: How We Do Applique

Applique is a great way to practise creativity and bring a touch of craftsmanship to your own interiors. Applique can transform cushions, headboards and armchairs – the possibilities are endless! Join us as we go behind the scenes to share how we make our own masterpieces…

Before beginning any creation, we look for inspiration which can flourish from anything including galleries, exhibitions or a current event. The recent coronation of King Charles III was the influence for our celebratory applique cushions.

It’s important to consider the scheme your applique design is for. To allow cohesion, we often use a scheme’s fabric combinations to influence both the design and colour palette of our creations.

Once we have an idea of what we’d like to create, we draw rough sketches and review different design options.

Applique designs can be as intricate and detailed as you like. You can even make an entire scene from fabric offcuts, giving them a new life.

It is at this stage that you can make any amendments and tweaks if you feel like your original idea is missing anything.

The fun part starts now! Once we have collected all the fabrics, we start creating our pieces.

Once ready, it is time to sew down your applique. The running stitches are a big part of the overall design and we pay considerable attention to perfecting these. We often use the same colour for thread as our motifs, but you can also use a contrasting colour thread to create a statement. We only recommend this if you have a simple design.

We recently made these cushions which are based on our Doodles Collection for Spode. Created by our Design Studio’s Willow Kemp, ‘Doodles’ feature sketches that celebrate uplifting everyday moments. They promise to make you smile! Shop our Design Studio Cushions here.

We hope you’ve enjoyed going behind the scenes and we hope you feel inspired to create your own applique designs!