I only use a ladder stitch when I am doing EPP, because it passes from one hex to another. You can do a longer stitch, and it isn't seen. For needle turn applique, I use the applique stitch, usually with 100 wt. silk thread or 50/2 Mettler Silk cotton thread. If I'm doing machine applique, I use either a tiny zig zag stitch with poly thread, if I don't want the stitch seen, or the double buttonhole stitch (which to me looks much nicer than the single buttonhole stitch) if I want it to be seen.