Appliqué
Print method — one of 27 in the glossary
A piece of fabric stitched onto the garment, with the edges secured by embroidery, rather than the design being stitched or printed directly. Covers a large area for far fewer stitches than filling it with thread would take, which makes it the economical route to big lettering and numbers on jerseys and varsity wear.
Fabric instead of stitches
Appliqué stitches a piece of fabric onto the garment and secures its edges with embroidery, rather than filling the whole shape with stitches.
A large solid area filled with embroidery takes an enormous stitch count, which is slow, expensive, heavy and stiff. A fabric patch covers the same area for the stitches around its edge alone.
That economy is the entire reason appliqué exists, and it is why varsity lettering has always been done this way.
Tackle twill
Tackle twill is the traditional appliqué material — a heavy twill, often polyester, cut to shape and applied with a satin-stitch edge.
It is what numbers and letters on sports jerseys are made of, and it survives laundering far better than a printed number.
Cut-away or laser-cut edges keep the shape crisp; the stitching then both secures and outlines it.
When to choose it
Large, bold, simple shapes — letters, numerals, blocky logos — where a dense fill would be prohibitive.
Anywhere weight and stiffness matter, since appliqué is lighter and more flexible than the equivalent fill.
Not for fine detail, gradients or small type, where the edge stitching would overwhelm the shape.
Common questions
- What is appliqué?
- A piece of fabric stitched onto a garment with its edges secured by embroidery, instead of filling the shape with stitches. It covers large areas for far fewer stitches.
- What is tackle twill?
- The heavy twill fabric traditionally used for appliqué, especially numbers and letters on sports jerseys, applied with a satin-stitch edge.
- When is appliqué better than embroidery?
- On large, bold, simple shapes. A dense embroidery fill of the same area would be slow, costly, heavy and stiff; appliqué only stitches the outline.
See also
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