I'm trying to teach myself to use fusible applique for our guild's President's Challenge. We were given a fabric that had to be used somewhere. I tried using it as the background for the tractor in the attached picture. It didn't really work with the other blocks. I cut the tractor away from the background.

I haven't sewn the outlines yet. Can I fuse the tractor onto a different fabric background? Some fabrics will then be four layers deep. Will this cause them to crease instead of being smooth when sewing around the outlines?

Should I start over and remake the tractor so that I'll have fewer layers?

I'm not sure if I understand your question, but I use Steam a Seam 2. When you have a larger piece to fuse, you cut out the center of the fusible & just fuse the outer edges of the fabric piece. Applique will become too stiff if you use too much fusible.

I used Lite Steam-a-Seam2 all over each piece of fabric. I don't think I'm as worried about the buildup of the fusible as the fabric. Since I've never done this before, I was wondering if four layers of fused fabric would be too many to outline. Then it would have to be quilted with batting and backing causing even more layers.

It's going to be a wallhanging so I would think stiffness might be a benefit?

That sounds like a really good thing to do, just fuse edges, if you have a larger piece to put on.

I've peeled fused fabric away from other fabrics. Can you do that? I'm not entirely sure I understand the question either.

The fused tractor fabric is firmly attached to the remaining background behind it. I think that if I tried to peel it off it would stretch the fabric, distort the shape, and not lie flat.

Having no experience in this, I was wondering if outlining the details of four layers of fused fabric would do something unwanted to the edges... like splitting the fabric?

I think I should just start over. I just hate the fact that I wasted a day and the expensive Steam-a-Seam.

I don't think you'd have issues with fabric splitting etc.. but you might have trouble getting a needle through the layers...

If you're planning to start over anyway I would try to heat up your tractor and peel it off...

Fuse the steam a seam to the back of the tractor area, then cut it out and re-fuse it to another piece.
I have had appliques with more layers than 4 :D:D:D

Iron the tractor from the back and when it is warm enough, try peeling it off. I have had success with this method. You may have to do a small section at a time.