I prefer machine applique, but NOT with a satin stitch - I think it looks tacky, no matter how it's done. I've kind of been working on a hybrid method for a quilt I am making my niece, each piece has turned under edges so no chance of fraying but I am digitizing them all and each applique piece is stitched with a buttonhole stitch... to me it doesn't "look" like typical machine embroidery applique but it's much less fiddly than doing it freehand on the machine (I already tried that and failed - the perfectionist in me would never do a whole quilt that way).
Here is one of the test ones I've done.. it's basically the same owl as the hooterville pattern but about half the size and with different (redwork style) feet
