I just finished a Dear Jane - lots of applique and boy, could I see an improvement in my skills as I went along. It was all done by hand and I used freezer paper and ironed the edges over the freezer paper then appliqued by hand. I searched the internet to try to find tutorials to get sharp points, find out how to do inner points, etc. There are good tutorials, but what would have really helped me is to sit down with someone and watch them and be able to ask questions. If you could find someone who's already adept at applique see if you can pick their brain about tips and techniques. Good luck!