My quilt friend told me to get Karen Kay Buckley's DVD on applique. I did and it is very good. I started a BOM with a lot of applique and I have come to the conclusion, hand applique may not be my thing. My learning curve is too steep. I have machine appliqued by using a light fusible and doing a small zigzag stitch. I go around once with a smaller stitch not to close together, then I go around the second time with a little bit wider stitch a little tighter stitch. Karen Kay does it with a blind hem stitch which I have not tried.