Applique on a quilt top?

Sweet project, and ladybugs are very cute!

You generally get the best look if you do the applique first and then quilt. Often, people quilt AROUND the applique if it's small, but if it's larger, you'll need to quilt inside the applique too.

Good luck - what a nice thing to do!

There are lots of ways to attach and/or stitch appliques--using stitching or not, one a machine or by hand, using stiffeners and shapers like freezer paper or not, various adhesives perhaps, etc, etc.

(I'd definitely attach and finish the applique on its separate block though if your quilt is made up of blocks...if not, of course you'll just put the applique on the whole quilt top.)

If you're just asking about "quilting" the applique in relation to "quilting" the rest of the quilt, you can do the quilting first or not just leaving a blank or lightly-quilted area, but you will have the whole quilt sandwich to get through.

You can also quilt on top of the applique if you want, in any pattern you want, before or after making the quilt sandwich.

Here are lots of ways of doing applique on quilts:

http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+applique+qui...

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=how+to+appliqu...

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=how+to+appliqu...

You can do either, but it would be easier to applique the center block first as after the quilt has been pieced together there will be more bulk to contend with.

I might propose what craftingbookworm stated so far as fusible internet. However, I have attempted the iron on switch paper on occasion favors for my oldest's birthday occasion and the switch did not even final via the occasion on one of the vital presents. It cracked and flaked off. But for those that did not crack, it stayed on fairly well and continues to be there even after being washed nearly a 12 months later, so might be I did whatever mistaken :)