Question on Back Basting Applique
 

This is probably the stupidest question ever. I just got the Piece O'Cake Best Ever Applique Sampler book which has totally inspired me to try my hand (ha! ha!) at hand applique, just not their way. Back basting seems so much simpler to me. The first project in their book has long thin leaves that are made of two different fabrics. One half of a leaf shape is made of one fabric and the other of a different fabric. The way they do it, if I understand it, is to cut out the top half of the leaf shape, applique it to a chunk of fabric for the bottom half, then cut out the entire leaf shape and applique it onto the background fabric. Would it be done the same way for back basting? Would you have to sew the two fabrics together first? Or how would you do it?

I think if I was doing it, I would back baste one half of the leaf, leaving the extra where it goes under the other half. Applique it on, again leaving a little extra where it will be overlapped by the second fabric. Then I would continue with the other half of the leaf, folding the last half over the first half. Oh, gosh, I hope you understand this. I would only back baste one half of the leaf at a time if you want it two colors. I would think you could get a nice contrast in colors by a green material that had different variations in it. The pattern you are using is beautiful. Enjoy the process.

Are the halves separated by a straight line? Well .. why not piece the two together, then cut the applique shape and applique as desired?

Thanks for your replies. What I've done is kind of what Marilyn suggested. I'm back basing one half onto the fabric for the other half and will then back baste that onto the background. Now that I've actually started on it, it's making more sense to me. I guess it really was a silly question. So far, I thik I might like doing this, but my "invisible" stitches aren't very invisible yet!

I have read instructions for this method but couldn't get my brain round it. Please let us all know how you get on.