Fabric Manipulation
June 18, 2025 - June 18, 2025
There are many different ways to manipulate fabric. Fabric manipulation simply means altering the quality or appearance of your chosen fabric to make it a design feature.
Appliqué by Hand and by Machine
Appliqué is a very common way of manipulating a fabric and creating a design. There are three main ways of achieving this effect:
Fusible Appliqué
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This technique uses fusible webbing that irons on and is a quick and easy way to achieve an appliqué. Fusible webbing is paper with a layer of fabric glue attached which is activated by heat. Using this technique you can use multiple layers and fabrics.
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Machine Sewn Appliqué
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This appliqué version uses interfaced fabric sewn down by a machine. The interfacing stabilises the fabric.
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Hand Sewn Appliqué
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Reverse Appliqué
Reverse appliqué simply means a back to front appliqué. The applied fabric is on the back of the main fabric and the main fabric is partially cut away. This is a decorative technique that is generally used on such things as cushions or children’s wear.
Multiple layers can be and cut away at different degrees.
Machine Reverse Appliqué
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Hand Sewn Reverse Appliqué
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Quilting by Hand and by Machine
Quilting is a technique often used in furnishings but also used for outerwear garments. It can be done by hand or by machine and is a very effective fabric manipulation technique.
The technique involves layering two pieces of fabric between your chosen thicknesses of wadding.
Machine Quilting
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Machine quilting is a lot quicker to do than hand quilting. The finished effect is very different though. Getting a large quilt under the machine can be very hard. If you have a walking foot for your machine it is advised to use this. This will make the quilting process easier. Always practise your quilting before sewing your final piece:
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Hand Quilting
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Hand quilting is a slower process than machine quilting. Although it can sometimes be easier to sew a larger quilting fabric piece by hand:
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Felting
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Felting is a technique using a combination of hot water, agitation and soap. This technique is used on pre knitted wool. The combination makes the wool fluff up, grab each other and mat together. Felting knitted fabric produces a medium weight fabric that doesn’t fray. Wash the wool on a hot wash, ideally wrapped in some fabric and tied. The felting will be improved if there is a loaded washing machine. |
Smocking
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Smocking is a technical technique of fabric manipulation. There are two types of smocking, lattice smocking and direct smocking. |
Lattice Smocking
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Also know as American smocking, this technique is worked on the back of the fabric. The stitches don’t show on the right side of the fabric and instead a heavily textured pattern appears. You can mark the pattern by dots creating a grid system. You can experiment with the size of the grids that suit your chosen fabric. The traditional technique is about 2cm apart:
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Direct Smocking
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Direct smocking is generally used on checked or spotted fabric. It is a fabric manipulation technique used traditionally for children’s wear. Checked fabric shows the puckering and folding to the best advantage. Gingham is the best fabric to work with.
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Shirring
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Shirring is traditionally used on children’s clothes. It has a similar look to smocking but can also create a sculptured effect on a garment. The technique only works on fine fabrics that pucker easily. It involves winding shirring elastic around the bobbin that is visible on the wrong side of the fabric. Sew with the fabric facing up using a large straight stitch. For a section of a garment make sure the pattern piece is at least 3 times the size, as the fabric will shrink considerably after the shirring has been done. You can sew straight lines to get an even effect or sew randomly to get a very puckered effect. |
Bleaching
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This is a simple technique that can alter the look of a garment dramatically. It is especially effective on thick fabrics such as denim. This can be done free hand by splashing bleach onto a garment or painted on. It needs to be left for a few hours and then washed off. Be careful when using bleach as it a strong chemical. |
Gathers
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Gathers can be done randomly by hand or machine. Simply sew a gather stitch using a wide stitch and leave a long thread at either end of the stitch line. Simply draw in the fabric by pulling the thread to secure the knot or sew in the ends. |
Dying
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Dying is a technique that is very commonly used. Most fabrics can take dying. Make sure you match the right dye to your chosen fabric. There are many different things you can do with dye to create certain dye effects. This involves resisting the dye in certain areas. Techniques such as tie dye and batik achieve a very unique look. Batik involves using hot wax to draw a pattern onto the fabric and then dying and removing the wax after dying. This leaves a clear image and shows the original fabric in contrast with the dyed fabric. |
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Tie dye is another technique where string is tied around the fabric in a pattern, the fabric is then dyed and the areas that are tied resist the dye. This is a very distinctive look. |