How do I know if I need background fill?
 

I am in the home stretch on my DH's birthday quilt. I am looking at it now, though, and I'm not sure if I need to do some filling in. I have enough quilting to cover the reccomendation for the batting. I just can't decide if I should keep going or stop. The block is approximately 12". I outlined the stars, the inside square of the star and the inside shape. The wool batting has given me a nice little puff. I know that I can get the stars to puff a bit more with a little stippling. The sashing is quilted with circles and the cornerstones 'xs' to represent hugs and kisses. So, really, more than enough quilting to keep it all together and prevent any shifting.

Part of me wants to call it done (birthday is 9/13, still have to bind and do label) but the other part wants to make sure it is extra special. I do, however, want it to remain warm and cuddly.

How do you know when to add or when to call it a day?

I call it a day when I am too tired (too through with the quilting) to add more quilting. However, it sounds like the background stippling is something you want to do. And, yes, it will make the stars puff more. Just remember, you want to keep the quilting even over the quilt.

I have realized when I cannot thread a needle, it's time to call it a day! If I were you, I would add more quilting. As mentioned, it will make the stars puff more....

Also remember the more quilting the stiffer it will be. Most men are visual so chances are the pattern will be what he 'sees' and likes the most. I call it finished when the quilt 'tells' me that's good. Sounds dumb but that's what works for me.

I'm with Toni C.
My LAQ knows that I like quilting to enhance the design not overpower it.
I have never slept under the first quilt I had done by another LAQ - stiff as a board and bore no relation to the design.

If you do decide to add stippling, you might want to switch to a finer thread. This will help reduce stiffness from the stippling.

Edit: I'm really not sure that adding stippling would make it "extra special". My inclination would be to skip it, as I doubt it would make a lot of difference to a non-quilter.

I've learned to listen to my gut feeling. If your gut is telling you that it needs more quilting, then it probably does. The times I quit because I was tired of it, or just wanted to be done, are the ones I look at now and say "I wish I had done more on that one". :)

To me the issue is not how close the batting company says. It is whether there is sufficient quilting to give an evenness in the quilting over the top without leaving unquilted areas. This subject is discussed in the blog at http://stencilco-mingle.blogspot.com/

Thanks, everyone! I just finished reading "Free motion quilting with Angela Walters" and Diane Gaudynski's "Guide to Machine Quilting". Those ideas are definitely in my head still! I'm going to go ahead and leave it as it is. Every single poster here had a point that I have taken into consideration but particularly Prism99 and ToniC. I think my husband will notice the more unusual quilting, i.e., the circles and serpentine stitch in the border but stippling in the block not so much.