Here is another favorite tip of mine. This one for making applique circles. I took a class once with Karen Kay Buckley - it was one of the best classes I"ve ever taken. Well she makes her applique circles with heat resistant mylar circles. I love this way! She started buy using metal washers from the hardware store. Then the washers went mylar. And now she produces mylar circles just for this! I got mine from Connecting Threads, they come in many sizes within a package, and there is a smaller circle package and a larger size circle package.
Start by tracing around the circle on the fabric, then cut about 3/8" or so around the circle. Make a running stitch around the circle near the outside edge leaving 2 thread tails hanging.
Next you need Magic Sizing, a paper cup and small cheap paint brush. Put the mylar circle in the center of the piece, pull the strings to gather around the mylar circle. Hold and paint on some magic sizing onto the back with the paint brush (spray the magic sizing in the paper cup, it turns to liquid). Let me tell you - I needed 4 hands to do this and take pictures!
Use a hot dry iron and hold the iron on the circles until the magic sizing dries.
Then gently open up the circle where the string tails are and slip the mylar washer out. I have a pile of circles here that have the washers pulled out.
Then gently pull the strings again to get back the shape and knot the thread, then trim off tails.
In no time at all you have a ton of fun circles to applique down. I then use Roxanne's Glue Baste it to attach them to where I want them on my applique piece and sew them down without having to turn under edges or remove freezer paper!
