Excellent first try! I love applique. My first was done with a tight zig-zag. Now I use a blanket stitch. I think it's easier and I like the way it looks. Someone on the board gave me the hint of stitching a couple of straight stitches first, then going around the piece, stitching over my starting stitches, then ending with a couple of straight stitches. It "ties off" the beginning and ending and you can't see it. (Now why didn't I think of that?)