First it depends upon how many you need to do.
If you are only doing a small quantity a good sharp pair of scissors is all you need or require! The next item to consider is what kind of material is your applique going to be?
If you will be using a nylon twill give Beacon Graphics a try with their Cad Cut PS Twill.
http://www.beacongraphics.com/heat_t.../ps-twill.html this is a pressure sensitive nylon twill and it cuts beautifully on our Graphtec CE5000-60 Cutter. We use the mid size blades and blade holder. A lot easier on the pocket than a Laser Attachment!
A vast majority of appliques will be attached with a Satin Stitch or Stile Border, in a nutshell you do not need applique software for most appliques. Most can be done manually.
1) Determine the area you want your applique, its shape etc.
2) Create a fill area for it and create your Satin Path around the fill be sure to use a fairly wide Satin Stitch as you will be using this to fully attach your applique.
3) Delete/Remove the fill.
4) Create a run stitch in the middle of the Satin Path. This will be your placement guide for the applique.
5) Create another run stitch between the middle of the Satin Path and the inside edge of the Satin Path. Try to run this as close to the inside edge as possible. This run stitch path will anchor your applique.
6) Be sure to run a good zig-zag underlay under your Satin Path. Run this Satin where feasible in your sequence, The sooner you can the better.
That is about all you need for an applique. We use the PS Twill in ours due to it reducing our stitch counts drastically as it provides the color fills that we need.
For manually cutting your appliques just use the run stitch created in #4 above and sew it on the fabric you want to use as the applique and cut it out following the stitches, instant guide!
It is a very simple process, just take your time initially and future items will come very easily.
Applique Help
