Lesson video

Hello everyone.

How are you? Hope you're feeling great today.

My name is Ms. Afsal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm really pleased about that 'cause I love teaching art and also because today we're looking at applique.

I wonder if that's something you're familiar with.

Our lesson is called surface quality and applique, and it comes from the unit of work: foundation workshops and introduction to the areas of study.

So if you have some focus, some energy, some enthusiasm for exploring this topic, we'll begin our lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can design and make an applique using fabric shapes and stitches.

We have some keywords in a lesson.

Let's go through them.

Applique, template, and layering.

Applique is a textile technique where fabric shapes are stitched onto a background to make a design.

Template, a shape or pattern used as a guide for cutting fabric.

And layering, placing fabric pieces on top of each other to add depth, texture, or detail to a design.

These are our keywords, applique, template, and layering.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called surface quality and applique, and it has two learning cycles.

First of all, exploring applique and planning a design, and next, creating an applique piece.

Yes, we are getting creative, we are making our own applique pieces.

Let's begin by exploring applique and planning a design.

And let's take a look ahead to the end of this lesson and what your outcome might look like.

Perhaps something like this.

Pause here and share with someone, what do you think of these outcomes? Thanks for sharing.

Applique is a textile technique where fabric shapes are stitched onto a background to make patterns or pictures.

Examples of applique can be found all over the world.

In West Africa, especially in Benin, it is used to create bold, colourful banners and cloths.

And we can see a very beautiful, bold, striking banner on our screen there.

Artists cut fabric shapes of animals, people, and symbols, stitching them onto backgrounds to tell stories or to honour kings and gods.

These works are often seen in royal courts and ceremonies.

Applique involves cutting fabric shapes and attaching them to a background using stitches like running stitch, blanket stitch, or zigzag stitch.

Pause here and share with someone, have you used any of those stitches before? Thanks for sharing.

The edges can be turned under, neat, or left raw, frayed for texture.

Artists often combine it with layering, embroidery, beading, or dying to add detail.

Artists inspired to create applique include: Bisa Butler creates striking quilted portraits using colourful cotton and applique to explore African-American identity.

Chiachio & Giannone collaborate on fabric-based works and community driven applique banners celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity.

Jacqui Hilson uses reverse applique, which involves cutting through fabric layers to reveal hidden colours underneath.

And Kaffe Fassett is a textile artist that is known for strong and bright colours with detailed patterns.

So we can see there are a number of artists inspired to create applique.

Maybe you know of some others too.

Check for understanding, what does the word applique mean in textiles? Is it: A, drawing pattern straight onto fabric.

B, stitching fabric shapes onto a background.

C, dying fabric using natural materials.

Or D, glueing paper shapes onto card.

Pause here while you decide what the word applique means in textiles.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, stitching fabric shapes onto a background is what the word applique means in textiles.

Applique can be done by hand for a delicate look or by machine for speed and bold designs.

Fabrics with different textures, felt, cotton, silk can be layered to make the design more interesting.

Artists use this technique to add colour, texture, and layers to their work.

It can tell stories, decorate textiles, or reuse fabric scraps creatively.

Some artists like Faith Ringgold use applique in quilts to explore identity and culture.

Do you know of any applique artists in your local area? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Artists and designers find inspiration from images they've collected.

These could be anything that interests them or from a project they've already started.

Here's Jun, "I have lots of research pages in my sketchbook, this is how I start my creative ideas." And we can see some pages of a sketchbook and some really interesting eye makeup.

Starting an applique design can look like this.

So first of all, find inspiration from your research page.

Next, spend some time drawing.

And then simplify your drawing.

Be creative and use your imagination to add textures and shapes.

Thinking about types of fabrics you could use for your applique and how the layering effect might look.

Artists and designers use a template to help them cut out shapes accurately for applique and other art forms. Have you noticed how a template makes it easier to cut shapes accurately? Here's Jun.

"Using a template helped me get all my fabric pieces the right size and shape.

It will make my applique look much neater." Check for understanding.

True or false? Artists and designers can use templates to cut out shapes accurately for applique.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Templates are really useful because they help artists cut fabric shapes neatly and consistently.

This makes it much easier to layer the pieces and stitch them together without gaps or uneven edges.

Without a template, the shapes might not fit well into the design." Making a paper template could look like this.

On a separate piece of paper, trace your motif design using fine liner.

Cut all of the pieces of your template with scissors.

You might find it helpful to label your pieces before pinning.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to create an applique design from your research.

Make a paper template.

You should: be creative and use your imagination to add textures and shapes.

Think about the types of fabrics you could use for your applique and how the layering effect might look.

So pause here while you have a go at this task.

First of all, creating applique design from your research and then making a paper template.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that first part of your task? Creating an applique design from your research.

There are many possibilities, but you may have created something like this.

I am loving the detail there.

Here's Jun.

"The inside of the iris is divided into sections.

I'm going to use different tones of blue fabric and some white lace to create texture when I make the applique." It sounds wonderful, Jun.

Pause here and share with someone, what are your impressions of Jun's applique design? Thanks for sharing.

And how did you get on with making a paper template? There are many possibilities and you may have created something like this and then cut out all of the pieces, perhaps even labelled them.

Here's Jun.

"Making the template was so easy and I know it will help me cut out all the individual pieces of fabric accurately." Well done for having a go at this task.

Creating your applique design and then making your paper template.

You are now all set to go.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, creating an applique piece.

I wonder if you're feeling as excited about this as I am.

This is a great moment.

An artist might sketch their applique design first to plan shapes, colours, and layers.

It helps 'em test ideas, make templates, and see how the design fits together before cutting fabric.

Choosing the right fabric is key in applique because it changes how the design looks and feels.

Smooth or shiny fabrics can make parts stand out while rough or soft ones add texture.

Pause here and share with someone, what would be some fabrics that you are interested in using in your applique design? Any of the ones we can see on the screen, or perhaps something different? Thanks for sharing your preference for fabrics.

Here's Jun.

"It helps to pick fabrics that are easy to cut and sew so the shapes stay neat and don't fray.

The fabric choice should match my idea and make the design work well." Another very important consideration when choosing your fabrics, making sure they're easy to cut and sew.

Let's take a look at some artists who use layering techniques with applique.

These include Billie Zangewa, constructs her hand-sewn silk collage tapestries by pinning, cutting, layering, and stitching raw silk shapes onto a background fabric.

Oliver Bliss embellishes machine stitch textiles with hand applique, addressing themes of gender, sexuality, and uses vibrant hand embroidery.

Ben Venom uses recycled fabrics like denim, leather, and old band T-shirts to create quilts and wearable art.

Katherine Westphal makes vibrant quilts, kimonos and dresses, using techniques like photocopy transfers, embroidery and patchwork.

Pause here and share with someone, after hearing about these four artists who all use layering techniques with applique, are you inspired by their choice of themes fabrics? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Check for understanding.

True or false? It doesn't matter what fabrics or textures you choose for your applique as long as the shapes are correct.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Choosing the right fabrics and textures is really important because they help bring your design to life.

The materials you select should match your research and ideas.

For example, soft, flowing fabrics for organic designs or bold, textured fabrics for high contrast.

The fabric choice also affects how easy it is to cut, layer, and stitch." So the fabrics or textures we choose really matter when it comes applique.

And now it's time for your next task.

First of all, I would like you to prepare your applique.

You should prepare the template pieces.

Select the fabric to use, considering colour, scheme, and texture.

Pin the template to the fabric and cut the pieces.

Pin the pieces to the white cotton background, thinking about layering.

So to prepare your applique, use your templates to cut out your fabric pieces.

Organise and arrange your fabric pieces onto your base fabric.

Pin the fabric pieces onto the base fabric in the position you want to stitch them.

Pause the video and share with someone, what do you think of this arrangement that we can see on the screen with the fabric pieces positioned onto the base fabric? Pause here and share your impressions of this.

Thanks for sharing.

And now pause the video while you prepare your applique.

Well done for completing this part of the task.

And next, I would like you to create an applique using stitch.

You should: use stitch to secure your fabric pieces and create your applique, select the colour of your thread to compliment your design, use running stitch or any other stitch that you know.

So creating an applique using stitch.

Thread your needle with the colour you want to stitch with.

Use stitch to stitch around the shapes.

Finish the applique by stitching all of the shapes down.

Pause here and share with someone your impression of this finished applique.

Thank you for sharing.

So pause here while you have a go at creating your applique using stitch.

It is great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with that multi-stage task? So first of all, you are asked to create an applique using stitch.

There are many possibilities, but you may have created something like this.

Here's Jun.

"Following the different stages of making my design and the template really helped me produce a successful applique.

The lace really contrasts well in both tone and texture." You're absolutely right, that lace is really working on your applique.

It was great to hear Jun appraising his applique design.

I'd like you now to share with someone your reflections on your applique design that you have created using stitch.

What do you think about your finished product? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

And now I would like you to offer some feedback to somebody that has shared their applique design with you.

So you could comment on the materials that they have used, on the design that they have created, on the stitching.

There's a lot to talk about.

So pause here while you offer some feedback to somebody that has shared their applique with you.

Thanks so much for sharing and for offering that feedback.

It can be so helpful for us to receive feedback and to be able to take that on for when we make our next piece.

In our lesson surface quality and applique, we have covered the following.

Applique is a textile technique where artists cut fabric shapes using a template and stitch them onto a background fabric to create a design.

They often use layering to build up colours, textures, and patterns, which makes the design more detailed and interesting.

Planning an applique helps artists choose the right fabrics and arrange of shapes carefully before sewing.

I would like to say well done everybody for joining in with this lesson looking at surface quality and applique.

This is a textile technique that not everybody has had so much experience of.

So it's wonderful to get to share this with you today.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson, creating your design, cutting out your template, and then stitching your applique.

It was great to see those different kinds of stitches being used.

I hope you enjoyed bringing in that skillset as well.

And well done also for sharing your reflections and feedback.

That's always a helpful way to conclude an art lesson.

So I hope you're feeling really proud of yourselves, your hard work, and your creations.

And I'm feeling very proud of you and what you've come up with.

And I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.