You might take a look at Pat Soan's blog and Forum. She does fusible applique and often has tips and she has authored books on the topic. Bing her, you'll find her.

Look at the back of the snowman, see the bobbin thread? Give it a tug and the top thread will come through as a little loop, pull it through with a needle, tie a square knot with the threads, and if you wish, put a drop of Fray Check on the knot and snip it off. It pays to anchor the ends, washing would release the stitches and cause a problem.
Love the snowman.
Carol J.

I love all aspects of quilting. I`ve made more than 25 larger quilts and several baby quilts., piecing and applique. (Heat and bond, lightweight) is the most used stick on, in our quilting group. Can be purchased at Walmart.Starting a sports quilt soon, some applique.Experiment with whatever you`re comfortable with. Practice makes perfect! Good Luck. Bessie Stephenville NL

Heck, my first "good' quilt was an applique.

Its just like any other quilting technique..something to try to see if you like it. On top of that, there are about a million ways to do it...so you have to try them all. I guess we'll be seeing lots of applique quilts from you as you work through all the new techniques:lol:

Quilting is not like school, where you have to pass one grade to get to the next, you can do anything you want to do. It is your choice and a good idea to try things. Get instructions wherever you can and don't be afraid to learn new techniques. You will prefer one over another but you won't know if you don't try them all.
Carol J.

Never to soon to applique. It is so relaxing and a great take along project when you travel, go to dr etc. I'm still learning about applique. Different ways to do it. Right now I'm taking on freezer paper and the way she presses it on the edges are so sharp. Love it. Give it a try.

Thanks! I will finish him off this morning after eye appt. I did make him into a small wallhanging by finishing building a block. Then, all I have left is to sew on his buttons!

Like so many others have said - it's a different skill set.

The main things in common is that fabric, needle(s), and thread are involved.

Sort of like algebra and geometry - some love one or are good at and not the other - but both subjects are considered "math"

The very first project I actually finished was an applique project. I don't think it's any more difficult than patchwork, but you do need the right "stuff." I use Heat n' Bond Lite for all of my applique projects, and from what I have read, most people here use it to. A lot of people, anyway. Get enough for your project and be sure to ask them to give you the instructions. It's self-explanatory with instructions.

You can do what I do, which is machine applique. I fuse the pieces down, then use the blanket stitch, zigzag stitch, or satin stitch on my sewing machine to stitch them down. (Blanket stitch is my favorite.) If you want to do needle-turn applique, which is folding under a quarter inch and then stitching it down by hand, you'll need someone else to tell you more because I've never done it (nor do I want to). I avoid all handwork as much as possible because I have arthritis.

I love doing applique and find that I do it at least as much as traditional patchwork quilting. Sometimes I force myself to do something without applique because doing it too much can start to feel tedious, to me, at least. Good luck!

BTW, I started with Patrick Lose's "A Cat for All Seasons." It was easy to do, with only a small amount of actual quilting. I used black thread throughout to stitch down the appliques. And you can find those packets of fat quarters at JoAnn in rainbow colors. A couple of those should be plenty.