beautiful quilt love the dragon flies. In UK I have noticed the type of applique finishes ,ie hand, satin stitch or blanket seams, to depend where they live. Around me they use blanket stitch but if I travel 80 miles to Nottingham there it is satin stitch.
i use either depending on the day. I do love needle turn hand stitching and at present I'm doing sticking shapes done then putting embroidery stitches over the top with an invisible zigzag between.