Well, it looks like you have a lot of interest in the applique club. I just noticed the date on the original thread, so I hope that I am not too late for the party.
I have been appliqueing for years. I can't say that I am an expert, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't suck at it either. I've taken numerous classes over the years, some from well-known teachers, and my favorite way of appliqueing is done by Jeanna Kimball. (Please forgive me if I spelled her name wrong.) I like her method because you can hand or machine baste the fabric down and not have to deal with straight pins or safety pins to hold it in place and your thread doesn't caught on anything while you are hand sewing. I also like it because the applique pattern goes down a lot flatter and doesn't have that poufy look.
Well, that's my story and I am sticking to it. So, what have I missed so far?