Well, I love to applique. My preferred choice is to baste the pieces to the background fabric first. I then keep a flat toothpick in my mouth and instead of needle turning, I use the toothpick to turn my fabric. The wetness helps grab the fabric to turn it. That is my favorite method which works great for me. Also after you baste the pieces down, you have a very portable piece to take with you when appliqueing on the go (or for me, babysitting my grandchildren at night). You should try all methods and see what works for you the best. Good luck! My favorite type of needle is the Clover Gold Eye Applique needle.