I don't do needle-turn, but I do hand applique on my quilts. I cut about an extra 1/4" around the template, I have a pencil holder that holds two pencils 1/4-inc apart. Then I either baste and pull the fabric over the template and iron, or I just iron the extra over the template. I love doing hand-work. I am not that comfortable with machine applique because I have trouble figuring out how to do the corners and bends and what not. I am not good at picturing things in my head like that, never was. So I do it by hand and don't care how long it takes me.