When hand appliqueing, do you applique a smaller piece onto the piece that goes onto the top or do you do the piece onto the top, then the little piece? Does this make sense? Like if you had a flower with a center, do you do the center first, then applique the flower or the other way around?

I don't know what the "standard" is but, when I did blue flowers that had a yellow center I appliqued the yellow onto the blue, then the whole flower onto the backing.

I think that's how it usually looks to me when I've seen other work.

I piece the piece that goes on the top first,,,,then the center on top of what I just stitched down....

it is a personal preference, I would imagine it depends on the size that you are working with as well. If you have not done a lot, I would be tempted to make a few samplers trying different things each time. Find out what works for you and what you are more comfortable doing. There are pretty much as many ways to do it as there are quilters on this board.

I was always told to work from the background forward, i.e. applique the flower to the background, then the centre to the flower. This would make it easier to keep layers flat. The only time I would do it the other way around was if, for instance, the flower were a large one, and I wanted to cut down on layers of fabric. Then I would sew on the centre of the flower, and cut away some of the flower from behind the centre. Then applique the flower to the background, and I could then cut away some of the background from behind the flower. With this method, you have to be careful making the first cut, and take into account that you must leave a quarter inch seam allowance.

I was always told work from the "back" forwards as well. So petals first, then the center.

If you think of it in terms of a 3 dimensional picture, the bits furtherest away should be on first, the closest last.

I'm doing a cat block, and the tail goes first, then the body, then the head.

:-)

I'm so excited for you to applique! You will just love it! When I applique....I work center out. I just did a vase w/stems...that had many leaves and flowers...I used my applique pins (so worth having these!) and pinned all of it. Then stitched my vase..which was the biggest item first..then each stem...then on to the leaves, and flowers. Make sense?So, for a flower...say a sunflower...I'd pin in place all of it....stitch the center of flower first...then the petals. hope this helps!:)Skeat

Thanks everyone for the advice! :D

Instead of pinning all of the flower pieces down, could you just applique the center to the flower, then the flower to the background. I'm just wondering if this will distort the flower or if there is another reason why you would have to pin it all down first.

The background is a pretty big piece - so I'm trying to make it easier, if I applique the center of the flower to the flower, it would certainly be alot less awkward.

I don't generally pin any of mine, as I needleturn, and the thread would catch on all the pins and drive me crazy. With the 'snowflakes' on the left, I did tack them in place, because of all the little fiddly areas, and I wanted the grain of the white fabric aligned with the grain of the blue. Even so, it didn't hold me up too much, as I averaged one a week over the whole 42 I made.
I have occasionally put pins in from the back when I wanted to avoid a lot of tacking, so at least my thread doesn't catch on them then, if that is a help. By the way, can someone please tell me how to add my location in my profile? I have tried, and can't seem to do it.

If you go to the top of the page, click on My Profile, you can enter your location in the "FROM" box.

PS - thanks for the advice!