I am a recent convert to needle turn...with a goal of learning to prep pieces as well! I have a love hate relationship with hand app. ..Until I found back basting. You trace your pattern on the back of your background, lay your applique fabric on top (both with right sides up...usual way), and then do a running stitch on the pattern line. I like hot green or pink thread. Trim a bit as you are ready so the edges don't fray, and then needle turn as you go. You take out the basting stitch and you are left with a line of holes to see where to turn the fabric back. Here is a link that got me started:
http://sentimentalstitches.net/instr...hand-applique/
I favor a straw needle (my quilt shop had a card with 3 sizes on it , so you could try the diff weights- I settled on an 11) and silk thread. I find the tiny needle combined with the silk thread (that just disappears!) make me look like I'm a better hand appliquer than I really am!
here is a link to Erin Russek. She does a tutorial on prepping pieces...and she has free BOMs that are very cute!
http://erinrussek.typepad.com/photos...ial/index.html
(if you try to start at the beginning and go thru in order, they are not numbered in order...just FYI)