I like applique because it gives you enormous possibilities for the designs you can use on your quilt. Plus, it is also relaxing to me. Sitting at a machine hurts my back something fierce. I have tried sitting up higher or sitting lower. It doesn't seem to matter how I arrange it, my back hurts after a very short time. So I just lazily hand sew. Knitting and crocheting are all done by hand and I have been doing them for over 30 years, so it doesn't mean much to me to spend more time handsewing than machine sewing.
This is my latest effort in hand applique. I didn't get the color of the sails right, so they don't show up as well as they might.