To continue the fiber art theme, I’m discussing ‘constructed fabrics’, of which quilting and applique are subsets.
In my version, I work finished layers on top of a support layer of fabric or felted interfacing. I use the end result as either accent pieces (book cover above), or whole backgrounds (award ribbons below.) They are a relatively fast, affordable way to get custom, unique fabric looks.
For clothing designers, think of using insets of constructed fabric, or thin strips to define a seam instead of commercial piping. Shadow applique like this could be a sophisticated substitute for lace.
I once rescued a long denim coat from Goodwill. The previous owner had (badly) drizzled gold glitter paint in clunky spirals down the button placket and the cuffs. It wasn’t coming off without solvent and hours of work. So I made a 15″ by 30″ sheet of multicolored (mostly blue and red) applique stripes first glued, then sewn, then cut apart into patchwork ribbons. I covered the raw edges with red bias tape, then hand-sewed those over every bit of gold glitter. Ta da: one $300 Santa Fe-style denim swing coat, for $10 materials (half of that was the coat.)
Much of what I know about constructed fabrics comes from Jane Dunnewold’s amazing books. Seriously, if you want to know how to do it right, look at her books and website http://www.janedunnewold.com
Or find her books and courses here on Amazon.