ESSENTIAL GUIDE
A single appliqué shape might sound restrictive but if you choose the right shape and use it imaginatively, some interesting designs can be created
“Some exciting contemporary designs can be achieved by using just a repeating appliqué shape and in this Essential Guide we explore some methods to produce original ideas.”
– Lin Clements
CHOOSING A SHAPE
I’ve chosen two shapes – a leaf and a feather – to create pieces of work with a modern edge. There are diagrams and stitched samples that I think will give you a good idea of what can be achieved with a single shape. I set myself the constraint of not changing the outline of the shapes, but I did allow for the shapes to be enlarged or reduced or flipped (reversed). Of course, there are other shapes you could try, such as ovals, squares, triangles and various polygons. You might also choose to vary the shapes, for example changing smooth ovals into irregular ovals, to look like true pebbles, or widening some of the leaf shapes to look more like petals. Another dimension that could be introduced is piecing the shapes and
