I just pinned the filter behind my background fabric, stitched the applique then tore off the excess filter paper.....worked great!

Barb

If need a stabilizer for applique I use coffee filters!
they are cheap and tear away easily!
used them for machine embroidery too!
just iron them flat.

reminds me of a funny story:
friend was helping me get some embroidered quilt blocks finished and she was ironing a whole pack of coffee filters
a homeowner came in to talk to my hubby about his new addition and his wife kept looking at us funny but didn't say anything!
we didn't think much about it until the next day when my husband said she just had to ask,had been wondering all night, why were we ironing the coffee filters?

There was a long discussion about this a couple of months ago. I use the dryer sheets after they have gone through a load. They are a little stronger than other stuff, but no cost, and work fine. Some people were concerned about spots from the fabric softener, but I have never had that happen, and if you are washing the quilt, any possible residue will be gone. If you trim the fusible web away from the middle of your shape before pressing the rough cut shape to your fabric, you won't have the stiffness mentioned before.

I do raw edge applique. I fuse the pattern with Wonder Under and I use freezer paper on the back. One thing I learned about it is if I applique with a tight zig zag stitch, the freezer paper tears aways from the back easily. If I use an applique or satin stitch, I have to be very careful or some stitches will pull loose when tearing the paper away.

I love this forum - such a wealth of knowledge and so many fellow quilters willing to share and help.