Are the applique designs made for using an embroidery machine or are they just applique pieces that you cut out and applique using a zig zag stitch (the old way)?  If it's for an embroidery machine, how does that work?  Do you embroider the design on a piece of fabric, then trim away the outside?  I'm puzzled.

As a customer, I have found that a lot of the applique designs start out by sewing an outline, then the next "color" is teh zig-zag.  I use that outline to:

1. sew onto the applique fabric,

2. take it out and cut it out, along with the stitch witchery. 

3. Then I re-hoop with the background color, sew teh outline again,

4.   Remove the hoop, but keep your background fabric in the hoop, use an applique iron to iron the applique onto the outline.

5.  Replace the hoop in the machine and continue on with the color sequence.  First will be the zig-zag outline, which will seal the applique fabric to the background.

the designs done by Ann are set up this way.  There is also frequently a paper copy which can be printed out, so you could do it without the first step, but I like to do it this way- it's very accurate.