Thread - Playing with

Needle-Turn Appliqué
By Nisan Aktürk, Threads digital ambassador
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One of the things I love the most about

making my own clothes is how
personal they can be, from sizing and
fit, all the way to the fabric selection
and the unique details I can
incorporate into them. I’m always
looking for different ways to add
custom touches, and my latest
experiment involves needle-turn
appliqué.

What is Needle-Turn
Appliqué?
I came across this technique a few
months ago and was instantly blown
away by its versatility. For those
unfamiliar, it involves cutting from
fabric a shape that includes a small
hemming allowance all around it, then
whipstitching the shape onto another
piece of fabric, using a hand-sewing
needle to turn under the raw edge just
ahead of each stitch. As the hem
allowance is narrow—1/8 inch to 1/4
inch, or 3.0 mm to 6.0 mm—you can
achieve smooth curves, in addition to
clean edges and corners. The stitching
is minimal compared with a satin-
stitched edge finish.
Inspiration and Preparation
For my foray into needle-turn appliqué,
I went with a small-scale project that
included a variety of shapes. This
enabled me to test and see the
limitations of this technique, as well as
figure out where it shines the most.

After sketching a few ideas, I landed

on the simple and personal concept of
exposing my pocket belongings to the
outside world. This entailed sewing
appliqués of items I carry in my
pockets on an actual patch pocket.

I made a list of all the possible items I

could use, and picked out five that
have different yet suitably simple
shapes: a Swiss army knife, automatic
tape measure, house key, my favorite
pocket pen (Zig Cocoiro), and favorite
lip balm (Glossier’s coconut balm
dotcom).

The next step was to create cleaner

sketches of the chosen items, to start
playing around with the composition. I
drew on paper and cut out each item,
then shifted the cutouts around on my
pocket piece until I was satisfied with
their placement.

Then I dove into my vast collection of

scrap fabric to find the correct colors
and textures for each item. I paired
them with matching thread colors to
make the stitching as inconspicuous
as possible.
Creating the Appliqués
Creating the appliqués went much
more quickly and smoothly than
expected. I traced each paper pattern
on the fabric using waxy tailor’s chalk.

Tip: Use a more accurate marking tool

like a heat- or water-erasable pen,
especially if you’re working with an
intricate design.

I then cut around the outline, giving

myself between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch,
or 3.0 mm to 6.0 mm, seam allowance.
Basting
The next step was to baste the cutouts
to the pocket using cotton thread and
a combination of pad stitches and
running stitches. I made sure to keep
the stitching well inside the shape so
that I could easily fold under the raw
edges.

Overexcited about working with the

appliqués, I basted three shapes at
once. I ended having to unpick the
basting stitches to move the pen
shape closer to the knife and the
measuring tape cutouts. That’s
because I hadn’t gauged the distance
between them correctly with all the
hemming allowances still visible.
Tip: Baste then stitch each shape into
place one by one. You’ll have more
control over the placement of each
piece, and the other shapes won’t fray
as you’re working on the first piece.

Whipstitching
Tiny whipstitches permanently
secured the shapes. A Size 5/10 John
James quilting needle worked well.

I used my fingers and the tip of the

needle to turn the raw edge under
following my initial marked outline. I
had no issues with the larger curves
and the straight edges, but the inset
corners proved tricky to get right.

For the multicolored lip balm shape, I

sewed the three different colored
fabrics together with a small, 1.5-mm-
long straight stitch first and then cut
the shape out. I found that this created
a much cleaner look and it was easier
to work with than creating individual
appliqués for each colored section
(which is how I created the black part
of the pen).

Once all the appliqués were fully

stitched, I added finishing touches in
the form of minimal embroidery, so
that it would be easier to identify each
item.
Construction
With all the appliqués done, the next
step was to form the patch pocket. I
first cut along the initial pocket outline
I had created to get rid of the extra
fabric. Then I ran a quick machine-
sewn basting stitch on the pocket’s
stitching line. I carefully folded the
edges in, making sure the curves were
smooth and hand-basted everything
into place. Finally, I slipstitched a hem
on the top opening of the pocket so
the motifs wouldn’t be interrupted by
visible topstitching. With that, the
pocket was ready to be topstitched to
the garment.

I had a semi-utilitarian, semi-tailored

vest in mind, and I had the perfect
pattern in my stash: the Miller
waistcoat from Merchant and Mills. I
used the same modified pattern
featuring a lower the neckline from
when I first used this pattern. The only
other changes I made were to omit the
welt pockets and the center-back
seam, as well as cutting the lining out
of the same fabric as my shell. The
fabric I chose is an undyed, medium-
weight cotton twill that’s not
structured or stiff, hence I wanted to
double it to offer extra stability to the
piece.
I loved working on this project, and I
love how it turned out. The pattern and
the fabric are minimal, but the colorful
appliqués make this a fun piece to
wear and a perfect conversation
starter. I hope it inspires you to try
your hand at needle-turn appliqué.