GB2107368A - Method of making an article of patchwork or applique - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a method of making an article of patchwork or applique comprising the steps of: (1) applying to the design side of cloth or fabric from which a patch is to be cut, a pre-prepared removable, self-adhesive section or sections, the self-adhesive section(s) marking the shape of the required finished patch; (2) cutting the required patch (including turnings) from the fabric or cloth leaving excess material for turnings; (3) folding over the turnings onto the reverse side of the patch; joining the patch, by sewing, to: (a) in the case of patchwork, other patches prepared according to steps (1), (2) and (3) above; or (b) in the case of applique, a backing cloth or fabric; and (5) removing the pre-prepared self adhesive section or sections. Self adhesive sections and templates are also provided for use in connection with the method. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of making an article of patchwork or applique The present invention relates to the craft of making cloth patchwork or applique articles.

Traditional methods used in making cloth patchwork and applique articles are laborious and time consuming. Material must be cut accurately into patches, and the patches must then be joined accurately to give a pleasing appearance. In the case of patchwork, the patches must interlock neatly in the finished patchwork article without any overlap or distortion.

Traditionally, in making a patchwork article, the cloth or fabric, from which the patches are to be cut, is marked out for cutting, using tailors' chalk or pencil, with the aid of a template. The template has the same shape as the required "finished patch" but is somewhat larger than the finished patch so as to allow for "turnings". By "finished patch" is meant the patch as seen in position in the finished patchwork. By "turnings" is meant the perimeter margins of the cut patch which are not visible when viewing the finished patchwork. The templates are usually of metal or plastics material.

A "liner" is then attached to the patch. A "liner" is a piece of stiff paper or card which has the exact shape and size of the desired finished patch. The liner may be cut by the patchworker from a sheet of card using a further template or alternatively may be obtained ready made. The liner is attached to the patch, cut as described above, by pinning the liner to the reverse side of the patch, the side opposite that side which will be visible on the completed patchwork: the visible side is hereinafter called the "design" side. Care is taken to ensure that the liner is centered on the patch. Finally, the turnings are folded over the edges of the liner. The turnings are pressed firmly with the fingers so that the patch is a snug fit on the liner. The turnings are then tacked in position on the liner, so that the edges of the liner are not visible.

The patches are joined by oversewing, accomplished by putting two patches (including liners) face to face i.e. design side facing one another, and then sewing the patches together along one edge, carefully avoiding the liners with the needle. After the patches have been joined together to form a cloth patchwork, the tackings and liners are then removed.

Removal of tackings and liners is very laborious.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of making cloth patchwork articles, which interalia eliminates the laborious tacking and subsequent removal of liners and tackings described above.

The invention provides a method of making an article of patchwork or applique comprising the steps of: (1) applying to the design side of the cloth or fabric from which a patch is to be cut, a preprepared, removable, self-adhesive section or sections, the self adhesive section(s) marking the shape of the required finished patch (2) cutting the required patch from the fabric or cloth, leaving excess material for turnings; (3) folding over the turnings onto the reverse side of the patch; (4) joining the patch, by sewing, to (a) in the case of patchwork, other patches prepared according to steps (1), (2) and (3) above; or (b) in the case of applique, a backing cloth or fabric; and (5) removing the pre-prepared self-adhesive section or sections.

The invention also provides self-adhesive sections for use in connection with the method and a template to assist in positioning the sections.

The invention will now be described more particularly, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings Figures Ia, ib, 2a and 2b show marking devices for use in connection with the method; Figures 3 to 8 show various stages in the method; Figure 9 shows a modified method; and Figure 10 shows marking devices for use in connection with the modified method.

Use is made of a frame-like template (Figures la and 1 b) in the shape of the required patch e.g. a clamshell-shaped template (30) (Figure 1 a) or a diamond-shaped template 31 (Figure 1 b). The internal dimensions of the frame-like template correspond to the dimensions of the finished patch, and the external dimensions of the template correspond to the dimensions of the patch including turnings.

The template may be of cardboard or thin flexible plastics material and is held in place, during use, by means of pins. Alternatively, the template may be of self-adhesive paper.

Use is also made of pre-prepared self-adhesive sections 32, 33 (Figures 2a and 2b respectively). The sections have the same shape and dimensions as the finished patch. Thus the sections 32, 33 can fit flush within the frame-like templates 30, 31 respectively.

The fabric 34 from which patches are to be cut is laid, design side uppermost, on a firm backing 35 into which pins may be stuck. The frame-like template 30 is laid on the fabric 34 (Figure 3) and is affixed to the fabric 34 by means of pins 36.

An adhesive section 32 is now positioned (Figure 4) on the fabric 34 within the frame-like template 30, flush with the template 30, so that the template 30 and section 32 combine to "block out" the required patch (including turnings). The fabric 34 is marked about the outside edge of the template 30, using tailors' chalk or pencil, to show the outline 37 of the patch to be cut. The template 30 is then removed, leaving the section 32 and pencil or chalk outline 37 on the fabric 34 (Figure 5). The template 30 is then repositioned on the fabric 34, and a further section 30 is put in position and a further pencil or chalk outline is drawn. This procedure is repeated until the whole fabric 34 has been marked out. The fabric 34 is then cut into patches 38 (Figure 6) along the pencil or chalk outlines 37. The turnings 39 are folded over to the reverse side of the patches 38 and ironed flat.If the fabric used is "springy", such as for example terylene, so that it is difficult to iron the turnings flat, then, after the turnings have been made, a further adhesive section may be applied to the reverse side of the patch, identical to the corresponding section on the design side. This further adhesive section will serve both to hold the turnings in their folded position and to further mark the edge of the finished patch.

Using the above described method of marking out patches with sections, one can see very clearly, when the turnings have been folded over, whether the angles formed at the corners of the patches are as required. This is because the section having the required shape is in position on the design side of the patch, in contrast to the liners of the traditional method. Where the folding or ironing has not been done accurately (Figure 7), it may be repeated.

A second piece of fabric of a different colour or design is similarly marked out with sections, cut into patches, and the patches folded. This procedure is repeated until all the patches required for a particu lar cloth patchwork article are prepared.

The patches 38 are then sewn together (Figure 9) with the sections 32 still in place. This is done by putting two patches 38 face to face and sewing one edge of each patch together. In the traditional method when sewing the patches together it is necessary to avoid "catching" the liners during sewing. When using sections however, the section may be peeled back slightly during sewing. Thus the task of sewing is easier than in the traditional method.

Where the corners of two or more patches meet, the sections on the different patches should interlock neatly. Any lack of alignment of the patches with respect to one another, will be clearly seen, as one section out of place relative to another section will be apparent.

When a patch has been sewn to all its neighbours, the section is removed. Removing the sections helps to reveal the patchwork design as it is being made.

The sections are simply peeled off which is contrast to the traditional method in which, at this stage, laborious removal of tacking and liners takes place.

The sections can be used several times before it becomes necessary to discard them.

Referring back to Figures 1a, b,2a and 2b, the templates 30, 31 and sections 32, 33 are provided with surface markings 40. The surface markings on the template assist in positioning the template on the fabric pattern. The surface markings on the sections assist in accurately joining the cut patches together.

A modification of the above described method will now be described. The modified method is useful in those cases where the desired finished patch has regular angles and straight edges e.g. is diamond shaped or hexagonal. In the modified method (Figure 9), a number of small sections 41 are used to mark out, on the fabric to be cut, the corners or angles of the desired finished patch. The small sections thus replace the single large section 32,33 previously used to mark out the whole area of the patch. This results in a saving in self-adhesive material.

In the modified method, use if made of preprepared self-adhesive papers discs 42 (Figure 10) having a diameter of 25 mm and marked out in 15" sections so as to enable the discs 42 to be cut into sectors of circles, the arcs of which sectors subtend 15" or multiples thereof. In use, the discs 42 are cut into sectors, the angles of which correspond to the angles of the desired patch, e.g. 120" sectors in the case of a hexagonal patch, 60" and 1200 sectors in the case of a diamond shaped patch.

Using the frame-like template as previously described, a sector is positioned with its apex fitting into the internal angle of the template, thereby marking out a corner of the desired finished patch.

When the patches are being joined, the sectors at the corners of the different patches should combine to form larger sectors. For example, where the corners of three hexagons meet, the three 1200 sectors should combine to form a disc identical to the disc from which the sectors were originally cut.

Any lack of alignment of the patches with respect to one another, will be clearly seen, as one sector out of place relative to the remainder of a disc will be very obvious.

The method of the invention allows patches of many different shapes to be prepared easily e.g.

clamshell-shaped or diamond-shaped patches as described above, hexagonal patches or patches in the shape of Celtic designs.

Claims (7)

1. A method of making an article of patchwork or applique comprising the steps of: (1) applying to the design side of cloth or fabric from which a patch is to be cut, a pre-prepared, removable, self-adhesive section or sections, the self-adhesive section(s) marking the shape of the required finished patch; (2) cutting the required patch (including turnings) from the fabric or cloth leaving excess material for turnings; (3) folding over the turnings onto the reverse side of the patch; (4) joining the patch, by sewing, to (a) in the case of patchwork, other patches prepared according to steps (1), (2) and (3) above; or (b) in the case of applique, a backing cloth or fabric; and (5) removing the pre-prepared self-adhesive section or sections.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which step (1) comprises the steps of: (1a) applying to the design side of the cloth or fabric a frame-like template in the shape of the required patch, the internal dimensions of which correspond to the finished patch and the external dimensions of which correspond to the required patch; (1 b) marking the fabric about the outer edge of the template with pencil, chalk or the like, to show where the cloth or fabric should be cut.

(1c) marking the fabric at the inner edge ofthe frame with the above mentioned self-adhesive sections, to show where the turnings should be folded; (1 d) removing the template.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characte rized in that self-adhesive sections in the shape of the required patch are used.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2 of making patchwork or applique articles, in which the patches have regular angles, characterised in that selfadhesive sections, in the form of sectors of circles, are used, the angle of a sector marking out the corner of a patch.

5. Self-adhesive sections for use in connection with the method of any preceding claim.

6. Self-adhesive sections for use in connection with the method of claim 4, characterized in that the sections are in the form of discs marked out in segments, which discs may be cut into segments to give sectors.

7. A frame-like template for use in connection with the methods of claims 2,3 or 4.