Thanks everyone.
I have used adhesives and they are all stiff and never wash out. If you have layers in the pattern, it can be hard to hand stitch through.
I tried Misty Fuse once. Don't seem to remember it being so much softer. I will have to give it another try.
Thanks for the info on the Liquid Thread. I thought maybe using only on the edges it might be better. Guess not. I usually use Steam a seam lite and then leave only a 1/4 inch on the edges of large pieces. It does help with the stiffness but still could use some improvement.
Thanks again! I knew people here would have some good info for me!