How I Needle Turn Appliqué by Hand

Needle turn appliqué is one of those techniques that can sound a little intimidating until you actually sit down and try it. I tend to do most of the turning with my fingers rather than the needle itself, and in this tutorial, I’m showing you exactly how I approach it from start to finish.

In the video, I’m working on one of the hand appliqué projects from my Book of Many Mini Quilts, so you can see the technique being used on an actual project rather than just a practice piece.

My Approach to Needle Turn Appliqué

There are different ways to approach hand appliqué, but this is the method that works well for me.

I prepare my appliqué shape first, then work my way around it a little at a time, turning the raw edge under and securing it to the background with small appliqué stitches.

And despite the name needle turn appliqué, I actually use my fingers quite a bit to turn that seam allowance under. The needle helps me make little adjustments and tuck in anything that needs it, but I’m not trying to manipulate every bit of that raw edge with the tip of my needle.

You’ll see all of this up close in the video.

Turning the Raw Edge

The goal is to keep that raw edge tucked underneath the appliqué shape as you stitch.

I only work with a small section at a time. I turn a little of the seam allowance under, get it sitting where I want it, and then make a few stitches before moving farther along the shape.

There’s no need to have the entire edge perfectly turned before you begin stitching. You’re shaping it as you go.

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Making the Appliqué Stitches

Once the edge is turned under, I use small hand stitches to secure the folded edge to the background fabric.

I want those stitches to do their job without becoming the star of the show. In the video, you’ll be able to see where I’m bringing my needle up, where I’m taking the next stitch, and how I work my way around the appliqué shape.

Like so many handwork techniques, it starts to feel much more natural once you get into the rhythm of it.

The Appliqué Tools I’m Using

You don’t need a huge collection of specialty supplies for needle turn appliqué, but having the right needle, thread, and a few basic tools can make hand stitching much more enjoyable.

You can find the appliqué products I’m using here:

Shop my appliqué tools and supplies at Meander + Make.

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Try Needle Turn Appliqué in the Book of Many Mini Quilts

The project I’m working on in this video comes from my Book of Many Mini Quilts.

The book includes hand appliqué projects along with full-size templates, and I created this video specifically so you’ll have a visual demonstration to come back to while you’re working through them.

Find the Book of Many Mini Quilts here.