I put an iron on stabilizer on my applique fabric to thicken up the fabric and keep it flat.
Hi Tania, I have used spray adhesive or freezer paper with great results.
Wash (or use a steam-iron) both the item you stitch on and the applique fabric beforehand. I don't like to fuse the two (with steam-a-seam or some other brand) when I'm working on toweling, that gives a very uneven surface.
I don't use anything - I just place a piece of fabric just a bit bigger than the applique design and hold it firmly with my hands whilst the machine is sewing. I'll add a picture of one of my Antique Santas to show you. I've never had any issues doing it this way. But, I must say I've been doing appliques for qite a long time and have perfected my technique! Love and blessings Chris
I used Steam-a-Seam 2 lite on the back of the applique fabric. You have to cut your pieces in the correct shape first, do the placement stitch,remove hoop from machine but do NOT unhoop whatever it is your are appliquing on,then place fabric on the placement line, lightly touch with iron to hold in place, replace hoop and applique. This product is light & doesn't get stiff. Hope this makes sense.
I use heat-n-bond or wonder-under (a two sided fusible product). I read about this somewhere and it seems to work pretty well. I also wash all the fabrics I am going to use for applique before I begin using them in a project.