Much maligned

Much derided, much mocked, much scoffed at.

I'm talking about appliques.

I know, the visions of Aunt Hilda's Christmas sweater come to mind, or a little girl's jacket with pink unicorns and fairies on it. But nowadays, with the revival of embellishment, appliques can be (key word is CAN) the finishing touch for a garment or decorative item in the home.

Given my love for all things fleur de lis, my first applique project was a little pillow:
I bought the fabric from the remnant bin and it was $1.82. You can't tell very well on the pic but it has metallic thread running through it and it makes for a sweet accent. Here it is on my bed - the duvet cover set was a gift from my sister, so the new bed look cost me under $5.
The applique racks ARE, sadly, mostly filled with animals and stars and too much glittery pink stuff but I'll be sure to keep scouting around to find a new treasure!