Quilt appliqué tips:
- Marking appliqué design on the right side of fabric since we would hand stitch them from the right side, not like piecing that is done on the wrong side.
- If the appliqué piece is large enough, before stitching down the background, use the iron the crease the seam down. If the pieces are small, use your thumb nail to crease the edges down. This will help sharp, accurate shape of your design.
- If creasing the edge down is not possible, use the needle roll technique: use the tip of your needle to turn the edge of the appliqué piece down, this is done only 1 stitch length at a time.
- Cut out mostly the background fabric under the appliqué piece if you want your quilt flat. Stuff an extra piece of fabric under it if you want your design to be raised slightly higher. This is done by cutting a small slit on the background under the appliqué then gently insert a piece of flannel that was cut the same shape as the appliqué shape, just a tad smaller.
- When your appliqué pieces are curvy, place them on the bias. Bias cut helps the fabric from fraying.