• Pretty flower accents are one of the easiest and most effective dimensional touches you can add to a fleece garment. Their plush look begs to be touched, whether the flower is accenting a neckline, lapel or purse, or covering a closure.
• To make a fleece rosette, cut a strip of fleece approximately 15 inches long by 2 inches wide. Run a gathering stitch through one long edge of the strip. Draw up the gathering stitches, allowing the flower to take shape as you roll the gathered strip. Adjust the gathers and fullness of the flower, then hand-stitch through the gathered end to secure the arrangement of the flower. Be sure to anchor both the inner and outer short ends of the flower with the hand stitching.

This high-style designer detail is a great way to add dimension to fleece garments. Simply put, ruching (pronounced ROOSH-ing) is a French word for pleating. Strips of fleece are gathered in a repeat pattern, and as the gathering thread is drawn up, uniform scallops or ruffles are formed.

Use ruching to give fleece scarves, hats or other items a decidedly feminine look. Make the ruched edges in matching or contrast color fleece for different effects. Here’s an easy ruching technique that’s perfect for a fleece scarf:

• Lap and pin one scarf ruffle over each long edge of the scarf, matching stitching lines. Stitch each ruffle along the double stitching lines, forming casings on each side of the scarf. With pinking shears, trim away the seam allowance of the ruffle, close to the scarf.
• You can add extra fullness to the ruffles by zigzag stitching over the outer edge, stretching the fleece ruffle as you sew. (Begin by making a practice ruffle in this manner, to determine the correct machine settings for the desired effect.)
• Next, cut two lengths of middy braid 40 inches long. Insert one braid into each casing, having raw edges even. Stitch across the ends of the casing, securely catching the ends of the braid in the stitching. Distribute the fullness of the ruching evenly along the length of the scarf.

• Faux fur and chenille or knit fringe trims purchased by the yard can give your fleece garment a luxurious look and feel, as well as textural interest. Just a touch is all you need at the neckline or garment edge. Choose your fur or fringe trim to match the color of your fleece, for a tone-on-tone effect that really plays up the difference in textures, or add contrasting fur or fringe that will really stand out against the fleece.
• To attach fur trim, line up the trim’s lower edge with the finished edge of your garment, and pin in place. Stitch along the straight edge, through all thicknesses. Once the outer edge is stitched in place, do the same to the other straight, inner edge of the trim. Because of the plush surface of the fur, the machine stitching will sink in, making the stitches nearly invisible.
• To attach fringe trim, pin the straight edge of the fringe to the lower edge of the garment, turning under and having both ends meeting at one seam, folding out fullness at points. Stitch close to the straight edge of the fringe, through all thicknesses, securing the fringe to the fleece. Slip-stitch the turned edges of the fringe together.