Who uses freezer paper for applique? I've been using heat n bond but people keep telling me they use butcher's/freezer paper. If you use it, does it work as well?

This is an interesting topic, as I am getting ready to do my first applique quilt!

when you use freezer paper you take it out so your piece is not stiff, the heat bond is there and stiff forever.

When I use freezer paper for applique, I cut the freezer paper the shape it is supposed to be, then iron it onto the back of my fabric (just takes a second or two, no more to press it on). Cut the fabric about 1/4" away from the freezer paper. Then I take some spray starch and spray it into a small container to get it into a liquid state (the measuring thing from cold medicine or a camera film container is a great size). Dip a Q-Tip into the liquid starch and saturate the seam allowance of the fabric, then press it over the edge of the freezer paper with the iron. When you're done, you can remove the freezer paper and attach your applique to its backing. The starch will wash out and there's nothing left to make it stiff.

Clear as mud? :D

P.S. They now make freezer paper sheets that go in your printer, so you can print your designs on them. Pretty cool!

I have always used regular freezer paper, reynolds makes one and mine is bespak, they make products for canning and freezing. I have used plain old freezer paper since I started applique in the 80s. It is a lot cheaper. If I need it to go in the printer, I cut it to 8 1/2 x 11, works great.

If you use the freezer paper off the roll, I find it usually sort of curls. So, how do you have it flat enough to go into your printer so it works?

With freezer paper you stabilize your fabric to draw the design on, but is removed, so that stability is gone. Is useful for needle turn applique, but nothing more. Some people use it for machine applique, but when you are done you have to make a small cut on the back of your work to remove it. I am not sure I would want to do that.

Fusible web is used to permanently attach the applique piece to the background. It can be then machine stitched around the edges to prevent it from fraying in the future. You could do needle turn, but have to make sure you left enough around the edges to turn it, or just do a hand whipped blanket stitch without turning the fabric under. Certainly, two totally different uses.

ok so I have 2 hugh rolls of freezer paper - don't ask long story - any way I was going to iron it to the front of the fabric, trace cut applique then turn applique over spray with adhesive spray, stick to fabric, remove freezer paper, then stitch applique ideas on this?

I kind of go back and fourth. Depends on what I'm doing. :thumbup:

I have never had luck using the freezer paper and I now have a whole roll. I use HeatnBond Lite most of the time.