Prism99

There are a lot of different ways to do machine applique. My preference is for freezer paper applique, which has a turned edge (no fusible used).

Usually when you use a fusible you fuse the double-sided fusible to the fabric, cut out your cat, then fuse the cat to your background. Instructions come with the fusible package. You finish the edges with a decorative machine stitch of some kind. You *do* need to be careful to get the kind of fusible that can be sewn through; some cannot.

Most fusibles make the applique fairly stiff. To eliminate a lot of the stiffness, you can draw your cat pattern on the fusible (on the paper backing that the fusible comes with), use your scissors to cut out about 1/4" *inside* your drawing (you are cutting out the center portion of the applique), fuse the piece to your fabric, cut out your cat pattern, and now the cat has just a 1/4" of fusible all around the edge with the center just fabric.

Steam-a-Seam Lite is widely available and a good choice if you are going to machine stitch the edges. If you are not going to add a stitched edge, regular Steam-a-Seam is a more permanent fusible (that cannot be sewn through).

Edit: If you are machine stitching the applique edges, you *do* need to stabilize the background fabric. (You will be unhappy if you don't.) Most people use a tear-away or other type of stabilizer. I prefer to heavily starch the background fabric, preferably before cutting into squares. (Ideally you also want to cut the background squares an inch larger than necessary, add your applique, then trim the finished square to size.) I use a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo liquid laundry starch and water for this, saturate the fabric with it using a large wall painting brush, toss in dryer, and iron with steam. Just spray starching will not stabilize the background fabric sufficiently for applique.