Common appliqué mistakes and fixes
Mirror-image shapes, shifting pieces, puckers and fraying.
- Shape came out backwards: trace it reversed on the web.
- Web not sticking: fabric softener may be the cause. Prewash without it.
- Pieces shifted: lift and set the iron, never slide it.
- Puckered background: add tear-away stabiliser behind.
- Edges fraying in the wash: stitch raw edges securely, or use turned-edge appliqué.
All guides ›Appliqué
Sources
All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.