cut an applique just like the old fashioned 'snowflace' technique, baste down the center of each little piece of each applique... this lets you center the design and hold it in place while you turn under the edges of each piece and applique with blind stitch. at the point where you are all appliqued and blocks joined (i just do one block at a time and especially for beginners...do a pillow top to see if you like all this detail, my first was really a snowflake and then i use it for the month of dec/jan as it is just a cover for one of my regular lab). after sewing all blocks together, layer like normal quilt and do echo quilting or machine echo quilting... this is the traditional way but, it's your quilt and you can alter whatever part seems wrong to you... No Wrong Way To Quilt!