How Do You Turn an Embroidery Design Into a Patch?

Auto appliqué is a built-in feature on select Brother and Baby Lock embroidery machines that automatically adds an appliqué stitch outline around any design you choose. It works on both built-in designs and any embroidery file you load onto your machine. The process uses two separate hoopings — one with cutaway stabilizer to build the base, one with wash-away stabilizer to finish the patch — so the whole piece trims out clean and can be fused onto nearly any project. Once you've made one, friend, you will not stop.

There's a little shield-with-a-crown icon on certain Brother and Baby Lock machines that most of us scroll right past. It's the auto appliqué button, and once you know what it does, it changes what you think a "patch" even is. No hand-stitching a border, no fussy trimming by eye — the machine draws the line for you.

Auto appliqué takes any embroidery design and gives it a finished, stitched border, automatically! On machines with this feature (we're working on the Brother Aveneer EV1, but it shows up on plenty of other Brother and Baby Lock models too), it's a single button that turns your regular embroidery workflow into a patch-making workflow. No extra software, no separate pattern. Just your design and a button you've probably scrolled past a hundred times.

Here's the shape of it, start to finish.

1. Pick any design. Built into your machine or loaded in from a file, auto appliqué doesn't care! Pull up the design you want, then look for the icon (on the Aveneer, it's a shield with a crown). Tap it, and the machine adds an appliqué outline around your design automatically. Your stitch list will grow by three steps: appliqué material, appliqué position, and appliqué (on top of the design itself).
   
2. Hoop one: cutaway stabilizer, base fabric. Hoop your cutaway stabilizer, then place a simple base fabric on top. Cotton is an easy starting point, and a little fusible backing underneath adds extra stability if you want it. Stitch out the design first, then the single outline stitch that follows it.
3. Cut it out. With sharp scissors, follow that outline stitch exactly; not too far out, not too far in. This step feels like the scary part and it is genuinely the easy part. Right on the line, every time.
4. Hoop two: wash-away stabilizer, placement and finish. Hoop your wash-away stabilizer and stitch out the placement line. Add a dot of glue stick (or spray adhesive, if that's your preference) to the back of your cutout piece, line it up on the placement line, and let the machine finish with a satin stitch around the edge.
5. Rinse and trim. Pop it out of the hoop, trim away the excess wash-away stabilizer, and rinse the rest under water. The stabilizer dissolves clean in seconds, no residue left behind.
6. Bond it, wear it, gift it. A layer of fusible adhesive on the back turns your finished patch into a peel-and-stick, iron-on piece you can add to a jacket, a tote, a ball cap, whatever you're working on. It's an especially nice option if you love a design but aren't ready to commit to stitching it directly onto a finished garment, make the patch instead and skip the puckering worry entirely.

That's it, friend. One button, two hoopings, and a patch you can put anywhere!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which machines have the auto appliqué feature?
It's built into select Brother and Baby Lock sewing and embroidery machines, including the Brother Aveneer EV1. Availability varies by model, so check your machine's manual or give us a call if you're not sure whether yours has it.

Do I need special stabilizer for this technique?
Yes — two kinds. Cutaway stabilizer supports the first hooping where the design and base fabric are stitched, and wash-away stabilizer supports the second hooping where the patch is finished and trimmed free.

Can I use any embroidery design, or only the ones built into my machine?
Any design works, built-in or loaded from a file. The auto appliqué button adds its outline stitch to whatever design is currently selected on your screen.

How do I attach the finished patch to my project?
A double-sided fusible adhesive on the back of the patch lets you iron it onto fabric — jackets, totes, hats, and more. Peel, position, and press.

Want to try this on a design of your own? Browse our MGQS Machine Embroidery Exclusives for patch-ready designs you won't find anywhere else!

Some techniques just make more sense in motion. Kris walks through the entire process start to finish in this video:

P.S.
Questions about auto appliqué, stabilizer choices, or which machine is right for you? Email us at info@mygirlfriendsquiltshoppe.com or call 435-213-3229. We would love to help!