I originally ordered a half yard and to get the shading like this used most of the good parts and I have more flowers to go so I went back and ordered more.

The shading in this very light color is a very subtle transition and the parts where you get a high contrast are few.

I went back and measured for you as best I could the area of each particular value and it was approximately 10″ before transitioning to the next value.

I purchased almost all of the colors and the colors that start out darker will give you the most bang for your buck and less fussy cutting to get the shading needed. The yellow or very light colors will probably require more fussy cutting and have fewer areas of high contrast.

It all depends on how small the applique piece is and the amount of shading you require to create that “painted” look. As well as how much applique will be created using the fabric.

I hope this helps or maybe I created more indecision? When in doubt, I order a yard. For applique, this is comparable to buying a bolt of fabric to a piecer, but sometimes with a pure color batik that has good value changes and will not date itself, I err on the side of caution.

No I don’t use a template to “view”/audition the fabric area before cutting (it takes more time don’tcha know ). One of the things I do is to mark on my individual templates the shadow and highlight areas so when I position the template, I am aware of where the values in the fabric need to be placed.

Then I note on these template value areas a
“L” for light
“M” for medium
“D” for dark

When I am getting super detailed I also add,
“ML” for medium light
“MD” for medium dark

I don’t always get it the first time exactly ideal, so if the cut piece doesn’t quite work, I just try again. If I have to try a second time, that usually works perfectly. The nice thing about applique is we don’t have to be so precise. Thank goodness!