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Transforming Ordinary Quilts with Specialty Applique: Ideas and Inspiration

November 8, 2024

Express Your Creativity

Quilting is a beloved art form that combines creativity, functionality, and tradition. But sometimes, even the most beautifully sewn quilts can benefit from an added touch of unique artistry. With laser-cut specialty appliqué, quilters have endless possibilities to take their work from simple to extraordinary. Here’s how adding specialty appliqué can help transform any quilt into a work of art, along with some inspiring ideas for new projects.

Why Choose Specialty Appliqué?
Laser-cut specialty appliqué adds depth, texture, and intricate detailing to your quilt that can’t be achieved through fabric alone. Each design is precisely cut, eliminating the hours spent meticulously shaping fabric by hand and enabling quilters to experiment with complex patterns that may otherwise be challenging to create. These high-quality appliqué pieces also offer uniformity, ensuring that each shape is perfect, and allowing quilters to produce professional-level results with ease.

Ideas for Adding Specialty Appliqué to Your Quilts

1. Floral and Botanical Appliqué for Nature Lovers

Floral patterns never go out of style, making them a timeless addition to any quilt. Consider adding detailed roses, delicate vines, or blooming lilies for a quilt that captures the beauty of nature. Westfield Laser Designs offers pre-cut floral appliqué that can give your quilt a graceful, garden-inspired aesthetic. Combine various flowers for a vibrant, colorful quilt or stick to a monochrome palette for a more subtle, elegant effect.

2. Geometric Appliqué for a Modern Twist

For those who love contemporary design, geometric appliqué pieces are a great choice. Try adding bold, angular shapes like triangles, hexagons, or interlocking circles. These shapes work well on quilts meant for modern spaces, adding a visually striking contrast to softer backgrounds. The precision of laser-cut appliqué pieces makes them perfect for achieving crisp, clean lines in complex geometric designs.

3. Holiday-Themed Appliqué for Seasonal Quilts

Holiday quilts are perfect for cozying up and adding a festive flair to your home. Specialty appliqué pieces like pumpkins, snowflakes, or autumn leaves can give your quilt a holiday-specific charm. Seasonal appliqué pieces make it easy to design quilts for specific occasions without needing to invest in seasonal fabric prints.

4. Personalized Quilts with Custom Appliqué Designs

Whether creating a quilt as a gift or adding a unique touch for your own use, custom appliqué offers a way to add meaningful, personal details. Westfield Laser Designs can help you bring custom ideas to life, allowing you to create quilts that are one-of-a-kind.

5. Animal Appliqué for Whimsical and Child-Friendly Quilts

From playful puppy designs to intricate bird patterns, animal appliqué adds a whimsical touch to any quilt. Perfect for children’s quilts or animal lovers, these appliqué pieces can help create scenes or simply add adorable details. A quilt featuring appliqué animals can also serve as a teaching tool for young children, making it both decorative and educational.

A pillow that says oklahoma is sitting on a wooden bench next to a quilt.

Tips for Working with Laser-Cut Appliqué
To ensure the best results when adding appliqué to your quilt, keep these tips in mind:

Plan Your Design First: Arrange the appliqué pieces on your quilt top before permanently attaching them. This allows you to visualize the layout and make adjustments if needed.
Secure with SoftFuse: Westfield Laser Designs recommends using SoftFuse for its strong but gentle hold, making the appliqué process easy and ensuring your design remains durable and soft.
Consider Background Fabric: Choose background fabrics that complement the colors and shapes of your appliqué, allowing them to stand out as focal points of the quilt.

Elevate Your Quilting Projects with Westfield Laser Designs
Adding laser-cut appliqué to your quilts not only transforms them visually but also opens up new creative avenues for your projects. Westfield Laser Designs offers a wide selection of specialty appliqué pieces to suit any theme or personal style. We work with quilting shops and designers to create unique appliqué kits for their shops, and our custom design services will bring your unique ideas to life. Whatever your vision, our precise, high-quality appliqué can help you create beautiful, memorable quilts that will be cherished for years to come.

Ready to take your quilting projects to the next level? Explore Westfield Laser Designs’ specialty appliqué options today and start creating quilts that are as unique as you are.

A quilt with a witch on a sewing machine

A drawing of a blue and black design on a white background

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Mixing Traditional and Modern Quilting Techniques with Appliqué

March 13, 2025

The E volution of Quilting For centuries, quilting has been a cherished craft, blending artistry with practicality. Traditional quilting techniques have been passed down through generations, preserving history and storytelling through fabric. However, modern innovations, particularly laser-cut appliqué, are transforming the way quilt makers approach design and execution. By integrating classic methods with contemporary precision-cut appliqué, quilt shops can offer their customers a unique and efficient way to create stunning pieces.

10 Beautiful Appliqué Concepts for Spring

February 28, 2025

Spring is the season of renewal, bringing fresh colors, lively patterns, and endless inspiration to the quilting world. For quilt shops and quilting professionals, seasonal appliqué kits present an exciting opportunity to engage customers and offer new, exclusive designs that reflect the beauty of spring. With Westfield Laser Design’s precision laser-cut appliqué, quilt shops can provide high-quality, pre-cut appliqué kits that save time, eliminate cutting errors, and enhance creativity. Here are 10 stunning appliqué concepts that celebrate the vibrancy of spring and can be customized into unique kits for quilt shops.

Turning Your Quilt into a Work of Art: Tips for Incorporating Intricate Appliqué Designs

February 13, 2025

Creat e Stunning Quilts Quilting is more than just a craft—it’s an art form that combines creativity, skill, and storytelling. Whether you’re creating a piece for a loved one, an exhibition, or your own enjoyment, incorporating intricate appliqué designs can elevate your quilt into a true masterpiece. At Westfield Laser Design, we specialize in providing precision laser-cut appliqué pieces that make adding complex patterns not only achievable but enjoyable. Here, we’ll explore how to integrate these intricate designs seamlessly into your quilting projects.

CONTACT

Phone:

956-686-0398

Email:

sales@lasercutapplique.com

WHY IS WESTFIELD LASER DESIGN SO POPULAR?

Westfield Laser Design is renowned for its high-quality Pre-Fused Laser Cut Applique Kits, which have become a favorite among quilters and crafters alike. Our Pre-Fused Laser Cut Applique Kits simplify the quilting process by offering precision-cut pieces that save time and enhance accuracy. This commitment to excellence ensures that every project created with our kits is both beautiful and flawless.

Our Pre-Fused Laser Cut Applique Kits are designed to inspire creativity and ease in every craft project. The popularity of our Pre-Fused Laser Cut Applique Kits can be attributed to their versatility and exceptional quality, making them the top choice for both hobbyists and professionals. Discover why our Pre-Fused Laser Cut Applique Kits are a staple in the quilting community and elevate your projects with our innovative solutions.
WHAT IS APPLIQUE?

The word applique comes from the French appliquer, “to put on.” It is most commonly used in quilting as embellishment for quilts, but is becoming more popular in making home decor and apparel. Often cutting applique is considered an arduous, time consuming process due to the intricacy of detailed designs and the level of detail was often limited to the cutting skill of the quilter. However, laser cutting removes the time and skill required by providing perfectly cut pieces.
WHAT IS FUSIBLE?

When we say pre-fused, we mean that your appliqué pieces have a special backing attached. This backing allows for you to tack/lightly adhere each piece to your background to ensure it stays in place while putting together the full project.After considerable testing we have found that SoftFuse Premium works best with laser cut applique. SoftFuse provides good adhesion of the applique piece to the background fabric while still providing a supple feel that is less stiff than other fusibles we’ve tested. SoftFuse is soft enough that you can either hand or machine sew the applique. SoftFuse will not gum up your sewing machine.
IS THE FUSIBLE PERMANENT?

Fusible is not permanent and edges of the applique may begin to peel if not sewn down or otherwise adhered to a surface. The purpose of fusible is to tack the pieces in place while putting a project together.
WHY LASER CUT?

Laser cut offers precise cutting of pieces in minimal time.
WHAT SUPPLIES DO I NEED TO COMPLETE A PROJECT?

Most projects require a background (fabric, canvas, wall), scissors for snipping small connections that keep pieces together during transport, an iron (any iron will do) for tacking and a way to adhere the fabric to the background more permanently once project is complete.
CAN I HAND SEW MY PROJECT OR DO I NEED A MACHINE? WHAT IF I CAN'T SEW?

You can certainly sew your project by hand or by a machine. The fusible does not affect the needles, making either option possible. You can also avoid sewing by using other craft forms for final adhesion such as decoupage or clear paint on wood or canvas backgrounds.
WHAT IS A QUILT BY NUMBER (QBN) TEMPLATE AND HOW DO I USE IT?

Quilt by Numbers (QBN) is a collection of kits that provide a freezer paper template that is reverse cut allowing you to perfectly position each piece as it is shown on the cover of the kit. Simply iron on the template to your background, place each piece in the corresponding cut out, tack the applique in place and peel the template off. It’s sew easy!
IS A PATTERN INCLUDED?

Because applique is pre-cut, we do not include a pattern. However, we do include a placement guide or template and instructions how to use the kit. You have all the instructions you need to complete the project without having to buy a separate pattern.
DO KITS INCLUDE BACKGROUND FABRIC?

Some of our kits do include background fabrics and others do not. Please check the product page for each kit for specific details about the contents of the kit.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE KIT?

Kits include applique pieces with fusible, background and binding fabrics when relevant, a step by step instruction guide, and placement guide. We also offer a template and color guide with our Quilt By Numbers Collections.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED?

Thread, backing or batting, which can be required for sewing into a quilt or wall hanging.
WHAT IF I IRON DOWN MY APPLIQUE PIECE BUT NEED TO MOVE IT?

The fusible is not permanent, so you can peel the piece off carefully and adjust. Tack it back down with heat.

Transforming Ordinary Quilts with Specialty Applique: Ideas and Inspiration

Mixing Traditional and Modern Quilting Techniques with Appliqué

10 Beautiful Appliqué Concepts for Spring

Turning Your Quilt into a Work of Art: Tips for Incorporating Intricate Appliqué Designs

CONTACT

WHY IS WESTFIELD LASER DESIGN SO POPULAR?

WHAT IS APPLIQUE?

WHAT IS FUSIBLE?

IS THE FUSIBLE PERMANENT?

WHY LASER CUT?

WHAT SUPPLIES DO I NEED TO COMPLETE A PROJECT?

CAN I HAND SEW MY PROJECT OR DO I NEED A MACHINE? WHAT IF I CAN'T SEW?

WHAT IS A QUILT BY NUMBER (QBN) TEMPLATE AND HOW DO I USE IT?

IS A PATTERN INCLUDED?

DO KITS INCLUDE BACKGROUND FABRIC?

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE KIT?

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED?

WHAT IF I IRON DOWN MY APPLIQUE PIECE BUT NEED TO MOVE IT?