Koos van den Akker (1939–2015), a Dutch-born designer who spent most of his decades-long career in Manhattan, maintained an exhilarating, playful inventiveness in all his work. He disliked the term “art to wear,” as he considered his garments practical, modern clothing, based in unfussy silhouettes and comfortable fabrics. His use of mixed-fabric collage set him apart from his contemporaries, and revealed his ability to transform his extensive library of fabrics into abstract textile paintings. Take a closer look at the summer dress highlighted in Up Close: Koos van den Akker Summer Dress—a delightful example of his work.

Along with his talent for bringing together disparate materials to make new fabrics, Koos evolved elegant strategies for covering the edges of his machine appliquéd designs. Stitched bias tape was his medium of choice, as it provides control over the visual emphasis he wanted to give his appliquéd shapes, softening or defining the boundaries. Patterned bias tape, especially in small-scale stripes, checks, and calicoes, work best graphically to unify a composition.

Take a cue from Koos in your next appliquéd or quilted garment.

---

Outside and Inside Corners

Right or wide angles call for an easy-to-fold miter at the corner.

1. Align the tape along one edge. Then fold it to follow the adjacent edge, using a heavy needle to neatly form the corners. Pin or baste in place.

2. Edgestitch. Stitch along the inner edge—the edge closer to the appliqué. Then stitch the outer edge.

---

Pointed Corners

Koos’s signature arc shapes sometimes resulted in narrow points. There’s a way to handle those tight angles.