Don’t worry if you’re not keeping up with Fashion Month. We’ve got you. The Milan runway shows have officially wrapped. One of our favorite trends on the Italian catwalks this past week was the preponderance of applique details. We love how these refined “patches” looked when superimposed upon other patterns, textures, and colors. We’ll show you how to create your own chic custom patches, but first let’s take a look at some of the MFW runway shows for designer inspiration!

Animal Additions

MSGM | Attico | For Restless Sleepers

Check out these cool creatures. These designer looks are evidence – a single motif looks super chic on the back of a jacket or positioned on the side of the lapel. We saw such a variety of animalia appliques on the runway – pick your favorite fauna and go wild!

Floral Fantasy

Dolce and Gabbana | Antonio Marras | Blumarine

Botanical decoration is such a classic fashion detail, and it’s a great opportunity to add a pop of color to an outfit. Give your clothes a shot of springtime vitality by incorporating a floral applique. Perhaps a youthful daisy, a romantic rose, an exotic orchid—the options are endless!

Unexpected Embellishment

Giamba | Marco de Vincenzo | Vivetta

There were a few surprising and really exciting patchwork details this week. Think outside the box and create an unorthodox look with a truly unique motif. Our design library offers the opportunity to turn an unusual pattern into an awesome patch!

DIY Custom Patch with WeaveUp

One of the facts about fabric is that it has a relentless tendency to fray. For this reason, there’s simply no good way to cut out textile shapes. Your edges will inevitably disintegrate into a thready mess! While in theory you could stitch them, this takes a certain amount of dedicated time and neat expertise. However, we think we have a unique solution to this challenge: blackout fabrics.

Our blackout fabrics are backed with a thin, opaque layer that blocks the sun’s rays. This layer also has an unintended added benefit – it prevents the fabric from unraveling. Because this layer is thin, the fabrics are still flexible, drape-able, and feel soft. Blackout patches would be great for thicker garments and accessories. We made these adorable bugs from our Textured Blackout fabric.

Another fray-less fabric would be our Stretch Knit, a lighter option for more seamless application on thin clothing.

Here in the WeaveUp office, we’ve been playing around with a few of our blackout samples to see what sorts of patches we can create. There are a few things to keep in mind:

• Use an appropriately scaled pattern as your patch design. Depending on whether you are using a consumer sample or a whole yard, your patch size options will vary.
• Don’t limit yourself to recognizable motifs and novelty prints. Try creating shapes out of abstract designs too.
• You can attach your patches with a fabric adhesive (especially advisable with fiddly bits) or you can choose to stitch them on to add an extra embroidered detail.
• In terms of upkeep, we recommend hand-washing pieces with knit appliques to avoid issues with shrinkage. The blackout appliques should be spot-cleaned.

We decorated this classic button-down shirt below with two different applique options. Check it out!

Check back soon to catch our final runway review as Paris concludes Fashion Week!