Applique

Applique is the technique of attaching a separate piece of fabric to a garment by stitching around its edges. The applied fabric forms the body of a design element (a letter, a shape, a logo background), with embroidered satin borders, run-stitch details, and fills completing the rest. Varsity letter jackets are the most familiar applique application.

An applique design is digitized as a sequence: first a placement stitch on the base garment marking where the applique piece goes, then a pause for the operator to lay the cut fabric on the placement, then a tack-down stitch to hold the fabric in place, then trimming of excess material, and finally a satin or run border that finishes the edges and locks the applique permanently to the garment.

Applique is much faster than fully filling a large area with embroidery. A large block letter applique might be 5,000 stitches total. The same letter fully embroidered would be 50,000 stitches or more. For large designs on team jerseys, school spirit wear, and athletic apparel, applique saves significant machine time and per-piece cost.

The applied fabric also adds a visual and tactile contrast: a smooth fabric body with raised embroidered borders is a different look from a fully stitched embroidery. Common applique materials include polyester twill (the standard for varsity letters), felt, denim, and printed fabrics. Some shops use laser cutters or die cutters to pre-cut applique pieces in large quantities for high-volume runs.