French roses quilt ideas?
 

I have made a quilt top using the French Roses pattern from Heather French. It's going to be a baby gift for friends of ours who are having a baby girl, to be named Rose. I have the top done, back done, and the whole thing basted, but I am struggling with how to quilt it. I have never FMQ'd (and don't want to try for the first time on a gift for someone!), but I can't figure out how to effectively quilt this quilt with straight lines. I'll try to upload a photo of the actual quilt later, but it basically looks like this, but smaller (4 squares x 4 squares):

http://www.sewrightfabrics.com/2011/...een-up-to.html

The roses go too close to the edge of the square to quilt 1/4 inch from the edge of each square without sewing lines over some of the leaves. Stitch in the ditch won't provide enough coverage because the squares are 9 inches, so the quilting would be quite far apart. I've thought about going over the stitches that I did to sew down the petals, but that wouldn't make for a very attractive back.

Any thoughts? I don't have the time to send it to a professional quilter since the shower is next Saturday :( (unless someone reading this is in the DC metro area and could do it during the first half of this week!!!)

Since the soft edge appliqué adds so much to the designs, I wouldn't quilt over the edges of the flowers. I'd probably do a spiral or circle in the centers on the flowers and then stitch vertical and horizontal rows between then flowers and do something simple in the borders....sitd even.

GULC; I just finished my French Roses quilt. I hand quilted around several of the rose pieces. I echo quilted a couple (not always the same one) of the sizes on each rose pattern. So I didn't stitch outside the larger rose but rather several of the smaller ones. Then I did a leaf pattern on the borders. Hope this helps. I love this pattern, btw.
Sandy

I cannot think of the name of the batting - but it's one of the ones they sell at JoAnns - allows quilting up to 10" apart....if you SID around the squares - then knotted in the center of the roses just to be "safe".....?????

warm and natural or warm and white