If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a fabric collector and reluctant to throw away even the smallest scrap. The collage technique I share in this bag project is a great way to combine and embellish those bits and pieces into an artfully textured and colored new surface.

The process is fused appliqué, a method that makes it easy to deal with small shapes that would otherwise be difficult to sew in place. You don’t have to turn under the edges; just secure them to a base fabric with fusible web. I then couch or sew yarn to the collaged fabric surface for a textured, eye-pleasing effect—and to ensure the pieces stay where I put them.

I’ll show you how I plan and use this method to create a simple clutch bag. You could also easily apply this technique to fabric panels to enhance accessories and garments, from belts to coats. Use fabric scraps, thread, and yarn like paint when you choose the bits and pieces to create the perfect palette.

Click the pdf link below for the full article.

---

Mary Ray, former Threads contributing editor, has taught sewing workshops across the country and retired in 2021 from teaching as an adjunct instructor at Appalachian State University.