Applique--Not!

I seem to struggle with applique, at least the kind where you turn under the edges. I'm loving the fact that we're going through a raw edge fad right now and I have used raw edge applique in many quilts now. But my attempts at the traditional applique never look quite as clean as I'd like. I find it frustrating. So after my parents took a trip to Hawaii and my mom brought me back a book on Hawaiian quilting, I felt compelled to give it a try again, BUT this time I just drew the design onto the fabric background and used fabric paint to get the desired effect. I hand quilted around the edges, purposely making the stitches larger and darker than my regular hand quilting and I loved how it turned out. No stress, no disappointment!