I'm so excited for you to applique! You will just love it! When I applique....I work center out. I just did a vase w/stems...that had many leaves and flowers...I used my applique pins (so worth having these!) and pinned all of it. Then stitched my vase..which was the biggest item first..then each stem...then on to the leaves, and flowers. Make sense?So, for a flower...say a sunflower...I'd pin in place all of it....stitch the center of flower first...then the petals. hope this helps!:)Skeat