Stitching the design by hand

Use a slightly thicker thread than usual or one (1) or two (2) strands of). The size of each stitch is very personal – just relax and establish a rhythm so that your hand can find the length of stitch it is happy with. At the suggestion of a student in a class, I also tried stitching around the edge of the appliqué with a Herringbone Stitch, far quicker than Blanket Stitch! More importantly, it adds emphasis to the outline, which is why I sometimes include it as part of the design.