| Custom applique quilts are easy to design - with a little | | | | changes. |
| inspration from simple line drawings. | | | | For example, if you want a custom applique of Santa |
| If the traditional appliques just don't excite you, make | | | | riding a reinderr, but the one you've found has |
| your own custom applique design. It's as easy as | | | | ornaments hanging from the reindeer's antlers, |
| flipping through a child's coloring book or searching | | | | ungroupling will probably let you delete those |
| through clip art. | | | | ornaments from the design. Don't forget to save your |
| Custom appliqué quilts are perfect gifts (and | | | | art once you've completed your editing! |
| prized heirloom treasures) for celebrating the birth of a | | | | Many quilters prefer to assemble the custom applique |
| new baby. When the mom-to-be picks a less popular | | | | separately, then finish by stitching it to their quilt top or |
| nursery theme, it can be hard to find a coordinating gift. | | | | quilt block. Others, however, like to assemble piece by |
| That will make your custom appliqué quilt extra | | | | piece onto the quilt top or block by basting, then |
| special! | | | | finishing the stitches with either an appliqué stitch, |
| One woman decided on a "Cat in the Hat" theme for | | | | zig zag or satin stitch. |
| her baby's nursery. She wanted something different | | | | Fonts may also be used for custom applique designs. |
| and knew she'd have to custom sew and accessorize | | | | It's really easy to create a custom appliqué quilt |
| just about everything in the room. | | | | with a name or favorite hobby ("Cheer!" and "Play Ball!" |
| She turned to an old coloring book for inspiration. The | | | | are two that come to mind). Just type the words, |
| lines in children's coloring books are generally simple, | | | | making the letters the size you want. You may have |
| especially in coloring books for younger aged children. | | | | to print the letters individually rather than on one sheet |
| For the crib quilt, she simply enlarged a coloring book | | | | if you want them to be substantially large. |
| drawing of the cat's hat. Using the enlargement for a | | | | You can even make custom appliqués for your |
| pattern, she appliquéd red stripes onto the hat | | | | favorite fraternity or sorority member by using a font |
| which she had cut from white fabric. | | | | like Symbols for the custom applique pattern. |
| With the help of iron-on adhesive, she added the | | | | Once you've printed the letters, they are your pattern |
| striped hat to the center of her crib quilt top and | | | | for your custom appliqué design. Experiment with |
| stitched around it with a satin stitch. She added | | | | the positioning once they're cut out. Have fun and |
| coordinating prints around the sides for the border and | | | | create interest by overlapping the letters in some |
| without much effort at all, had a custom appliqué | | | | places. |
| quilt. She used the same techniques to add characters | | | | You must observe copyright laws when using other |
| from the famous Dr. Seuss story to bumper pads and | | | | media to help you design custom appliqué |
| to create a wall hanging for the nursery, too. | | | | patterns. Most art is under law in which if used for |
| It's easy to use the same procedure for creating a | | | | personal use only, there is no copyright infringement. If |
| custom appliqué from clip art. Pick your theme, | | | | you try to sell your custom appliqué projects |
| then start looking for appropriate art. The important | | | | using the already published art, you are likely in violation |
| thing is to look for simple lines. | | | | of copyright law. |
| Don't forget that you can manipulate some clip art. | | | | The same goes for fonts. There are many websites |
| Once you open a clip art file, see if you can select the | | | | that allow viewers to download and use free fonts, but |
| image then choose "ungroup" from the edit command. | | | | most of those include stipulations that the use of the |
| If it will allow you to ungroup, you can make simple | | | | fonts must be for personal - not commercial - use only. |