Another way is basted needle turn. This will be a bit long but bear with me.
1. Trace your complete pattern on the WRONG side of the background fabric. I pin my pattern right side up on the right side of the background, place a piece of typewriter or waxed dressmakers carbon on the table waxed side up. Put the background with the pattern pinned to it on top of the carbon paper and trace with a ballpoint pen. Or use a light box. It really makes no difference what method you use to transfer the pattern onto the WRONG side of the background.
2. Cut a patch of your appliqué fabric large enough to cover the area of the pattern you will be working on. Use one or two pins to hold it in place.
3. From the WRONG side baste all the way around the piece with a contrasting color of thread right on the traced line. Your stitches should be the lengt that you would use to do a quick fix on a torn seam. Not real tiny or super big.
4. From the RIGHT side trim around the basted outline leaving just over 1/8”.
5. Select where you want to start your needle turn and CLIP the STITCH BEHIND where you are starting and PULL IT OUT to in front of the needle turn the raw edge under, take two or three stitches, PULL THE NEXT basting stitch out turn the edge under and continue stitching.
6. Note if another piece of appliqué goes over the previous piece DO NOT finish that raw edge. Instead when you baste the next piece REMOVE the first basting and baste all the way around the next piece. Never have more than one basting thread in place.
Now for the advantages to this technique.
1. No templates to make. It is physically impossible to draw the same line a second or more times.
2. Pieces do not shift and move, you are only working on the distance from one basting stitch to the next.
3. By taking basting stitches out your feature has a small perforated line that helps in turning the raw edge.
4. No need to cut the backing out from behind thus preserving the integrity of the whole quilt. Heaven forbid ever having to replace a piece of the appliqué, but this way at least the background remains intact.
5. With the marks on the back if you miss a point or a curve isn’t quite right don’t tell. Also if for some reason your marks don’t come out only you will know.
i know this has been super long but hope it helps.