Here comes the "it all depends" again! It all depends on the edge finishing. Bought and custom made motifs are usually pre-finished around the edge so when hand sewing I usually slip stitch over the edge. If I am cutting my own motifs out from lace they will have a raw edge so I usually do a small running stitch just inside the edge I have cut. The raw edge is not usually visible unless you inspect it very closely. If I am using a corded lace which is usually attached to a very fine net, I cut out leaving a quarter inch or so of the net on, and stitch outside the cord with a running stitch. With this sort of lace though, it means you are cutting through the cord a lot to create the shapes you need. In this case I go around and put a small spot of gem-tac on the cut to hold the cord in place, then quite often a rhinestone if it needs more disguising! The free-machining method is much quicker of course and you can keep changing direction without having to move the bodice around and can be used for all the different sorts of appliqué. Sorry, can't provide pics as I never seem to get round to taking photos, relying on my customers to send me one. Besides, I haven't worked out yet how to get them from my phone on to here!! Ann x