I am not going to repeat some of the great tutorials on foundation paper piecing with freezer paper or using freezer paper patterns for applique. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. The site below offers a great tutorial on foundation paper piecing with freezer paper:
http://www.twiddletails.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=21
Or freezer paper applique:
http://www.lizziebcre8ive.com/applique.asp http://atbquilting.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/freezer-paper-applique/
http://www.cddesigns.com/FreezerPaper/How-Applique.html
http://feeddog.blogspot.com/2008/11/tutorial-freezer-paper-circle-appliqu.html
My main point is to give you a tip on how to print patterns with a laser printer. It is easy with an ink-jet because there is no heat to apply print to the page. The freezer paper can be cut to the size of a standard sheet of paper and printed on the wax-less (non-shiny) side without any problems. A laser printer presents a special challenge because it uses heat.
Here is what to do. Cut a sheet of freezer paper 17 inches by 11 inches (the equivalent of two regular sheets of printer paper side by side, aka ledger paper). Fold the freezer paper in half with the shiny sides facing and insert a sheet of regular paper between the waxed surfaces. If you want to prevent any shifting of the layers, use a warm iron to baste the layers together. Now feed the paper through the manual slot of your laser printer. You can print on both sides before you separate the layers for use.
Have fun downloading patterns to print with a laser printer. You can start with the foundation paper ladybug above. Click to open the larger size, then right click to save it on your computer. The pattern should print a 6 1/2 inch square.
Let me know if you make the ladybug. I haven't had a chance, yet.
