Do I need to use some sort of backing when sewing on things

[janx]

Sorry if I am not making myself clear here! I have just cut out some lovely applique type cars from an old monsoon t-shirt and want to put them on a new t-shirt iyswim? Anyway looked at a few of ds' t-shirt that have embroidered thing and they all seem to have this thin stuff on the inside of the t-shirt - ironed on? What is it and do I need it?

Have you a John Lewis or good fabric shop near you? They might have iron on backing which would prevent fraying? (I have no nice haberdashery near me

I don't think you do tbh. I know what you mean, that papery shit that just peels off, but in all applique tutorials online no-one has ever used it. They do use bonding paper between the top and the applique to hold it in place whiel you sew, but not on the back. Tis very weird.

When motifs are embroidered onto items they are backed on the inside with stabiliser - this is what the "paper" is.

You can use bondaweb on the back of your cut outs as this will hold the applique in place whilst you embroider/sew around the edge

they just do it so it sits nicely on the hanger in the shop. also can give it a smoother feel inside when wearing it. you might want to try some plain baking paper on the back when you sew the applique on. this stops the fabric from distorting if you pin it down well before sewing. you just tear it off when you have finished.

You can get this stuff called 'wonder under' and it is a sheet of sticky stuff like wonder-web and a sheet of tracing paper.

You trace the thing you want to applique onto the tracing paper and then iron it on the back of the fabric.

When you iron it on the tracing paper sticks to the other side so on one side is your fabric, the middle is the wonder under and then on top of that is the tracing paper.

Then you cut out your shape.

Then peel off the paper and iron the cut out shape on to the top.

You can either get a thicker kind where you don't even have to sew around the edges or a thinner one where you sew around it.