Rip Away the Old Way of Doing Appliqué

by Courtney Matlick, Stahls’ CAD-CUT Direct

Note: With the recent addition of Stahls’ new patterned heat transfer vinyl to the growing list of materials compatible with Rip-Away Appliqué, we felt it was a good time to revisit this 2013 post by Courtney Matlick, explaining the process. In addition to the textured glitter of Glitter Flake™, the process can be used to create a variety of finishes and effects, including reflective, textured, patterned, and full color custom designs.

What’s next in the evolution of appliqué? The latest innovation from Stahls’ takes appliqué to the next level. It’s something so great that it marries embroidery and heat printing, and takes your apparel decorating business to the next level.

Appliqué began years ago as embroiderers searched for a way to patch up clothes that had ripped and torn. A simple problem needing a simple solution, they discovered that by sewing additional pieces of fabric over the tear they could fix the garment. Wham! Just like that, appliqué was born.

Fast forward hundreds of years to the traditional appliqué we know today. This cut, place and sew appliqué method was discovered by apparel decorators looking for a new way to offer their customers more choices and solve common embroidery decoration dilemmas. Here they found that by sewing these pieces of fabric to garments, they could now offer their customers a variety of patterns and designs and cut down on the expense, time, and weight of full-coverage embroidery on designs.

While this method has worked well for the last 100 years, I think we can all agree it’s time for a new appliqué process. One that eliminates the tiresome steps of cutting and individual placement of appliqué pieces. One that simplifies the process and still gives your customers a durable and stunning finish. The time has come for STAHLS’ Rip-Away Appliqué™.

Rip-Away Appliqué is a new technique that allows you to create stunning glitter appliqué looks with CAD-CUT® Glitter Flake heat transfer material and the vast selection of colors. And here’s the most exciting part about this new innovation: It’s easy! There are no hoops to jump through to create these flashy glittery finishes. In fact, you don’t even need to cut your materials for this process.

All you need is your embroidery or sewing machine, a heat press, and a sheet of CAD-CUT Glitter Flake to get started. Simply grab an appliqué sew file and your favorite color of Glitter Flake. Sew out your design with a satin stitch of the material, then “rip-away” the excess.

It gets even better! The finish of Glitter Flake is one that is unsurpassed by traditional glitter and metallic appliqué fabrics. This vibrant bling finish will give you a premium look to deliver to your customers and more color options. Now you can give that premium glitter appliqué look and save time in production. What more could you ask for?

To learn more, watch this video and see how this new process works, step-by-step.

Video: Stahls’ Rip-Away Applique™ – New Glitter, Metallic Twill Process