Grandma's Flower Garden Assembly Part 4

OK...I don't know why these pictures are posted in the opposite order from how I added them. Please bear with this.

This picture is what your Grandma's Flower Garden looks like from the back side when it is totally completed. The background fabric has been trimmed away, and the freezer paper has been removed.
Once the Grandma's Flower garden is appliqued down to the background fabric this is the view from the front. I SEE TWO OF MY HEXAGONS ARE OFF with the stripe fabric I picked...so be careful if you pick a stripe when you are sewing the hexagons together make sure the lines are still meeting. Something I did not see with my eyes alone...not until I saw this picture was it so clear to the sight.

Pin the Grandma's Flower Garden piece to the background fabric.

Make sure it's centered. (This is a good piece to match up the center points and push one straight pin through both and into the ironing board cover so you can rotate GFG piece around to have it the way you want it on the background fabric).

Keep the fabrics as flat as possible. Remember to work on a flat surface as you pin and applique this down.

Take out the pins as you go... before you get to them...after removing the pin then push the fabric as flat as you can before back whip stitching this into place.

When I got to a seam between hexagons I took out the pins to the next hexagon, flattened it down well, and then sewed that hexagon edge into place.

It's alright to take off the freezer paper where you no longer need it. This is the view from the back.

After adding the second row of hexagons then start on the third. Always work OUTWARD when you are sewing these tiles together. When the outside row of hexagons are in place then baste down the outside seams. Leave the freezer paper in place to keep these outside lines straight.

The Finishing Touches on Applique done with Freezer paper

After you have cut away the backing fabric ...

Take out the basting stitches that were used to hold the edges of the applique piece in place until they were appliqued down.

Remove the Freezer paper. Remember to hold onto the seams if the freezer paper is caught in them so you don't pull out your stitches.
Trim up any spots that have excess fabric that will make it hard to quilt through.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT THROUGH STITCHES OR THE FRONT!

Press from the front again.

Removing background fabric from applique

This method works for appliqued pieces that are not done with fusible web.

When you are done appliqueing your item to the background fabric...
Turn the block over to the back side...
Pick up only the background fabric, making sure the appliqued part is not in your fingers...
Snip a small opening in the background fabric...
Then cut towards one edge. Stay 1/4 inch away from the edges and be VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CUT THROUGH the appliqued piece. Trim the entire way round the piece appliqued so the background fabric is no longer creating a second layer of fabric behind what you appliqued on.

Grandma's Flower Garden Assembly Part 3

Now bring another piece and lay it right sides together with the center hexagon. Whip stitch it on and leave the thread attached...
This is what it looks like with two hexagons attached to the center piece.
Continue around the center hexagon until the center is completely surrounded. You are only attaching the sides that touch the center just now.
Once the 6 pieces are sewn on to the center then you sew these outside six together where they touch each other. Work from the center hexagon outward.
Now that all pieces are surrounding the center you no longer need the freezer paper there. You can peel it off.

Grandma's Flower Garden Assembly part 2

Lay each piece out as you get them ready. They should all be pressed with seams to the back. I obviously don't have all the pieces pressed and in place in this photo.
You will need Applique needle, thimble, and all purpose thread the color of your fabrics. Thread your needle with a single thickness of thread and knot the end.
Start with the center hexagon and one hexagon that touches it.
Pick them up and hold them right sides together. Use a whip stitch to attach them. Be careful not to sew into the freezer paper. When you are done with the length of sewing these two pieces together on one side keep your thread attached...
Open it up and this is what you now have.

Grandma's Flower Garden Assembly Part 1

Trace Template onto the freezer paper making the plate design. This ensures your template is correct and all edges will line up. Cut each piece out. You should have 19 pieces.
Press the freezer paper onto the wrong side of your fabrics. Cut them out leaving the approximate 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Clip each piece at each corner. Do not clip all the way to the freezer paper!
Press the edges of each piece around to the back. Make sure your corners look nice.
Press each piece flat from the back and the front.