How do you sew appliques?
 

Do you do it by hand? What stitch? Or do you do it by machine? Again, what stitch do you use? I'm trying to figure out if machine stitching gives generally acceptable results, or if hand stitching is the only acceptable technique.

I use my machine blanket stitch. I haven't done many, but I like the results.

I don't do a ton of applique, but when I have I do a blanket stitch by hand.

Many people (including me) machine sew appliqué. I think it depends on if you yourself like the look or not. I use various stitches, depending on the look I want.

Depends on the intricacy of the applique...I am personally not a hand applique person, but if I were doing something like Baltimore album, it would definitely have to be hand....I myself, depending on how I want it to look have used machine blanket with thread matching or contrasting, or zigzag using invisible.....

For me it depends what kind of applique I am doing.

Needle turn, where the applique piece has a raw edge plus seam allowance that I turn under as I hand sew it to the base.

Prepared applique. That is where the raw edge is already turned under and either basted or held with washable school glue I like to us a very tiny blind hem stitch by machine. That is the stitch where the machine will take 1 zig zag stitch to every 2 or 3 straight stitches depending on your machine. On my Bernina I actually have a blind hem stitch and another stitch that looks just like it except it takes less straight stitches before doing the zigzag. Some people refer to it as invisible machine applique stitch. I have also stitched prepared applique down by hand.

Fusible raw edge applique I do by machine with a blanket stitch. But I have also done satin stitch or a tiny zigzag. I just like the look of blanket stitch best.

Wool applique I do by hand with heavier thread like pearl cotton or 12 wt thread and do blanket stitch. (Some people also call this stitch a buttonhole stitch.)

A combination of blanket stitch and satin stitch, both by machine.

I like the blanket stitch on my machine with a monofilament thread (if it's a wall hanging). I don't like to use monofilament thread on a blanket as I think it feels scratchy.

I like the look of the machine blanket stitch. The only hand applique I do is an invisible applique stitch for a small applique with my name or initials and the date which usually goes on the back of the quilt. I think people should sign their quilts.