Appliqué

The term Appliqué is derived from the French word appliquer which means to ‘put on’ or ‘lay on’ or ‘to apply’. The earliest known example of this technique dates back to 980 B.C. Egypt. In appliqué, pieces of fabric forming the design are cut out and prepared to eliminate the raw edges. These are then placed on the larger backing fabric and sewn in place using a variety of stitches. Several cultures use appliqué to decorate clothes, quilts, curtains, wall hangings, cushions, bags and accessories.

In India, this craft is practiced predominantly in Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of Orissa. In Gujarat, appliqué is known commonly as katab, probably a distortion of the English phrase—‘cut-up’!