Thank you everyone for all the information. I did not want the bulkiness of the machine stitching so I ironed 3 layers of freezer paper, cut it in 1/8" and 3/8" strips. Then I cut a bias cut through my fabric, ironed the strip to the wrong side of the bias fabric, then cut each side leaving a narrow amount of fabric on each side. I then used a light starch on one side and ironed over onto the wrong side of the freezer paper. I then used starch to the other side of the strip and repeated on that side. The stems turned out beautifully in both widths. I tried it just to see if it would work. I like the flat stems for my newest project.

Thank you to everyone who helped give me ideas. I will use them for other projects, I am sure.

I suggest that you go to about.com and look at their tutorials. Also you can google beginning applique and find some good information. Other suggestions would be to go to your local library or join an applique friendship group through your local quilt guild. If you are not a member of a guild, many of the groups will still let you join. Quilters love to share their craft.

Also check out Sharon Schamber's website, go to the free section, she has some awesome tutorials :D:D:D

When I made the leaves and stems for the Line Dancing Lillies, I did not have freezer paper...used a smaller cut-out of the leaf shape made from fusible webbing, ran a thin line of glue stick around the spare fabric, then folded and pressed as I covered the shape. Tacked them down with glue stick instead of pins when I was sewing them on the quilt face.
When I did the bias stems, I used an improvised version of the bias tool that I inserted into the 1/2" sewn "tubes and turned the seam to the middle of the back, then pressed flat. Tacked those down with an iron and some glue stick before pressing also.
LOVE that glue stick! Works REALLY well when setting a zipper, too...no "pin bumps" and no stopping and starting to remove pins as you go.

Thank you. Beautiful block, I love the pattern. Is it from a book? I appreciate the hint on the glue stick.

Thank you! The completed quilt is posted in the pictures section, from Christmas time. It is from a book...Joy of Quilting by Joan Hanson and Mary Hickey. For a third quilt, it was alot easier than it looked!

Thank you, I am always looking for new applique ideas.