Skip to content
The Fabled ThreadThe Fabled Thread logo

The Improvisations | Appliqué Abstract Art

Meet the Appliqits, our collection of bright and bold animal appliqué kits. Our quickest and easiest kits yet, each colourful creature comes together like a fabric jigsaw in as little as an hour. Designed for little ones (aged 8+) and their grown-ups alike, all you need is a pair of scissors and an iron to create your very own piece of art, ready to frame and hang on the wall!

A New Direction in Textile Art

Stretching the limits of what a kit can be

The Improvisations are our first foray into abstract art, a collection of colourful appliqué designs inspired by some of the twentieth century's most wonderful artists.


For a long time, our designs have been rooted in storytelling, characters and the natural world. With The Improvisations, we wanted to explore something quite different: creating bold, impactful pieces of textile art that could sit just as happily in a contemporary living room as in a more traditional interior.


Drawing inspiration from artists such as Matisse, Miró, Klee and Delaunay, we've explored the possibilities of colour, shape and composition to create a collection that feels playful but considered. Each piece is designed to make an impact on its own, but the designs can also be brought together to create larger, modular arrangements of colour.


In the video above, I'll share a little more about why we wanted to venture into abstract art and the inspiration behind the collection.


Don't Just Take Our Word for It

See what our customers think of the appliqits

We invited a group of our customers to try our new Appliqit kits for the very first time. In this video, you can see how they got on, hear what they thought of the process, and find out whether appliqué really is as quick, easy and enjoyable as we've been telling you!


Three colour palettes for three different worlds
Palette A | Our most understated palette brings together a collection of soft, earthy tones and slightly muted colours. Designed to sit harmoniously within an interior rather than demand attention, these colours work beautifully alongside natural materials, antique furniture and more contemporary surroundings alike.
Palette B | Our boldest statement. Full of rich pinks, vibrant reds and deep burgundies, this is our brightest and most exuberant collection. There's something distinctly playful and Pop Art-inspired about this palette.
Palette C | Drawing inspiration from the colours of mid-century modernism, this palette combines warm off-whites and burnt oranges with flashes of cobalt blue. Sitting between the subtlety of Palette A and the exuberance of Palette B, this collection feels crisp and graphic without being overpowering.


Pick Your Designs

There are 11 individual designs in a variety of sizes. Each works beautifully as a standalone piece of textile art, but the different sizes have also been designed to fit together, allowing you to build a larger arrangement. Below you can see all the designs, each of which is available in each colour palette.

Design 1

Design 1

CHF 31.00
Design 2

Design 2

CHF 31.00
Design 3

Design 3

CHF 31.00
Design 4

Design 4

CHF 31.00
Design 5

Design 5

CHF 44.00
Design 6

Design 6

CHF 44.00
Design 7

Design 7

CHF 44.00
Design 8

Design 8

CHF 56.00
Design 9

Design 9

CHF 56.00
Design 10

Design 10

CHF 62.00
Design 11

Design 11

CHF 62.00


How Do These Kits Work?

Fabric Jigsaw Puzzles

The collection includes 11 designs in three colour palettes, ranging from small squares to large rectangles. Each works beautifully on its own, or can be combined with others to create a larger, modular arrangement.


The kits are wonderfully simple to make, with no sewing or previous experience required. Just cut out your fabric shapes, arrange them and iron into place. All you'll need is a pair of scissors, a pencil and an iron. The smallest designs take just 1–2 hours, and even the largest can be finished in around 3 hours.


Watch the video below to see a kit unboxing...


Take some inspiration for how these can be styled in a home....





Finish Your Framed Piece | Frames and Paints

These are extra-deep, double-layered box frames, designed to give your finished creations a feeling of quality. We sell the frames unpainted so you can decorate them however you like. You might choose a simple block colour, or get a little more adventurous with stripes, spots or whatever else takes your fancy. We've also put together a couple of special paint bundles to complement the collection, along with the brushes you might need to decorate your frames. Choosing the right frame... Each design has a corresponding frame size, so make sure you choose the correct one for your design: - Frame N: Designs 1 to 4 - Frame O: Designs 5 to 7 - Frame P: Designs 8 to 9 - Frame Q: Designs 10 to 11

Frame N : Small Square Double Box Frame

Frame N : Small Square Double Box Frame

CHF 56.00
Frame O : Small Rectangle Double Box Frame

Frame O : Small Rectangle Double Box Frame

CHF 75.00
Frame P : Large Square Double Box frame

Frame P : Large Square Double Box frame

CHF 93.00
Frame Q : Large Rectangle Double Box Frame

Frame Q : Large Rectangle Double Box Frame

CHF 112.00
Painting Bundle: A

Painting Bundle: A

CHF 19.00
Painting Bundle: B

Painting Bundle: B

CHF 19.00
Painting Bundle: C

Painting Bundle: C

CHF 19.00
Semi-gloss varnish

Semi-gloss varnish

CHF 8.00
Flat paint brush

Flat paint brush

CHF 12.00
Detail paint brushSold out

Detail paint brush

CHF 8.00


Learn the Art of Improvisation

No one just "improvises"... even the best have a structure!

We believe that improvisation isn't simply an innate talent. It's something you can learn, practise and develop. And as with all our kits, we want to go beyond simply giving you a design to follow.


That's why we've created something rather unusual: our Improvisation Cards and Dice. By putting some of the creative decisions into the hands of the dice, you'll work through a series of prompts that encourage you to experiment with colour, shape and composition, gradually developing designs of your own.


Combine the cards and dice with one of our fabric bundles, containing colourful cottons and fusible glue paper, and you can turn your experiments into your very own piece of abstract textile art.


Watch the video above for a teaser of how it works!



Improvise Your Own Collection

The Improvisations Cards Set

The Improvisations Cards Set

CHF 19.00
Title
Improvisations - Fabric Bundle A

Improvisations - Fabric Bundle A

CHF 25.00
Improvisations - Fabric Bundle B

Improvisations - Fabric Bundle B

CHF 25.00
Improvisations - Fabric Bundle C

Improvisations - Fabric Bundle C

CHF 25.00



Shop the whole range