Removable Fabric Markers 
Obviously, we need fabric markers.  The marks should be removable, just in case some of the appliqué doesn’t line up perfectly.  I have two favorite markers:  one for light fabrics and one for dark fabrics.

Light Fabrics
“The Fine Line” is a water erasable pen that marks in blue.  I like it because the tip is very fine and it makes a nice, thin line.  You can also get an eraser pen, which removes the blue markings.  This is great for fixing up mistakes!  But I find the best way to remove the lines completely is to immerse the block in water.  Spritzing or dabbing the lines with water appears to work, but often some of the blue returns once the area has dried.

Dark Fabrics
Clover’s white marking pen is erasable with a hot iron as well as water.  Just take note that the marks take a few seconds to appear, so be patient.  The white lines show up well on the darker fabrics where a blue line wouldn’t.  Sometimes, I go over the lines a second time to make the white lines brighter.  Mistakes are easily corrected by ironing over them, but just be careful not to iron your marked fabric until you’re done with the lines!

Sandpaper Board
A sandpaper board is incredibly useful for marking fabrics.  It is placed underneath the fabric to keep it from shifting.  You can purchase a sandpaper board specifically for this purpose, or you can make one yourself.  Simply attach a sheet of fine grit sandpaper to a sturdy mounting board.

Fabric on sandpaper board

This is a great little tool.  I got it out recently and thought again how useful it really is.  It’s called the Easy Edge Appliqué Tool, by Heidizine Products, and I use it primarily for glue-basting seam allowances to freezer paper.

Soft Tip

It measures a little under 5 ½” in length, fitting comfortably in your hand.  One end has a soft 45-degree angled tip, ¼” in diameter.  The soft tip grips the fabric for turning over the seam allowance and sticking it to the freezer paper.  But the best part is that it keeps the glue from sticking to your fingers!

The other end tapers to form a thin 45-degree angled edge.  This part of the tool is useful for lifting, repositioning, smoothing out edges, and creasing outside points.  It can also be used for spreading glue in hard to reach places or for removing excess glue.  My favorite use for this end is for turning over stray threads at inside points and making sure they stay adhered to the freezer paper.

Thin Tapered Tip

It is true that I prefer to appliqué by hand using the needle-turn method.  One of the main reasons for this has to do with the preparation work involved.  Needle-turn appliqué eliminates the time-consuming process of basting the patches to freezer paper.

However, there are times when the speed of machine appliqué is appealing.  And these are the times when basting to freezer paper makes sense.  The time taken at the basting stage is made up for at the stitching stage.  And I wouldn’t be without my Easy Edge Appliqué Tool when it comes to glue-basting to freezer paper, because I hate sticky fingers!