CD Designs - How to Freezer Paper Applique

How to Freezer Paper Applique
These instructions refer to CD Designs' heart printed on freezer paper

The heart is a good practice piece for freezer paper applique. It has both an inner corner and a point as well as curved edges. These instructions will step you through appliquéing a heart using freezer paper.

Lay the freezer paper heart shiny side down on the right side of the fabric chosen for the heart as show in Figure 1. Press the freezer paper with a hot dry iron. A brief pressing of two or three seconds with the iron is all that is required to cause the freezer paper to adhere to the fabric.

Figure 1

Cut the fabric and paper together, along the outer dashed line indicated on the paper. You will have a heart that looks like Figure 2.

Figure 2

Separate the fabric from the paper. Lay the fabric heart down. Cut off the seam allowance on the paper piece only as shown in Figure 3. The paper piece will be the true size and shape of the heart to be appliqued.

Figure 3

Take the fabric heart and lay it face down on the ironing board. Center the freezer paper heart over the fabric with the shiny side up. See Figure 4.

Figure 4

Take the tip of your iron and flip the tip of the fabric over the bottom point of the freezer paper as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

Start to press the fabric turn-under allowance over the freezer paper until the fabric adheres to the paper. See Figure 6. Clip the fabric to 1/16" to the paper at the inner corner before you reach it as show in figure 6.

Figure 6

Continue to iron the turn-under till you are all the way around the heart as shown in Figure 7. If you have the problem of areas coming unbasted while basting an adjacent area (as with small pieces), baste an area and finger press it until it cools; then, when basting the adjacent area, try to avoid ironing over the already basted areas.

Figure 7

Iron the basted heart with the paper side down on the back ground fabric. You may need to use a little more time and pressure to make sure that it is very secure. Very small and very large pieces benefit with sew basting them down as well. Start to applique the piece in place.

There are two ways to remove the freezer paper. With small pieces you can take the paper out the front. Applique around the heart till you get about 1" before closing as show in Figure 8. Take a pair of tweezers and work the freezer paper out. After all the paper has been remove finish closing the heart.

Figure 8

On large pieces it is best to take the paper out the back. After finishing appliquéing the heart, turn your fabric over and clip the background fabric and paper on the back as shown in figure 9. Be very careful not to cut the fabric heart on the front. Cut out the background fabric and paper, leaving a 1/4" seam.

Figure 9

Remove the left over paper under the seam as show in figure 10.

Your appliqued heart is now finished!

Figure 10

How about trying fusible applique or needle turn applique?

Check out my patterns already printed on freezer paper. I also have some great class patterns.