Meandering on applique?
 

Hi everybody, I'm now just learning how to machine quilt. I think I finally have the meandering/stippling down. I have a wall hanging with machine applique on it. It's a cutesy wall hanging with appliqued frogs, mushrooms and flowers on it. It also has embroidery swirls on it. Now I'm real intimadated going around the appliqued objects, so I was thinking of just doing an all round meander over the applique and embroidery with clear thread. Would that work, or would that look stupid? Any suggestions on how to go about quilting it would be greatly appreciated, thanks. :)

It's your quilt your choice how to quilt it. But going around the applique will sure help you get over your intimidation and give you skills and confidence for the project where you want to make the applique pop off your quilt and not quilt over it.

I have a very old book (which I can't put my hands on right now or I'd quote it) that says to quilt around the applique if you want it to pop or you can also quilt through the applique which makes the applique part of the background--kind of like a whole cloth quilt. I've seen it done both ways and they were equally beautiful!

I had appliqued a few baby blocks onto a quilt and when I did an all-over meander, I just caught the edges randomly. I used clear thread and it looked just fine.

Google appliqué quilts and look at both kinds of quilting. Decide which one you like. Both ways look good to me.

quilting around your appliques (echo quilting) will enhance your appliques- bring them to the fore-front- make them stand out-& puff up a bit-giving them some 3-dimension-ality
quilting on the appliques will flatten them and make them appear more like (a print on the fabric)
both ways are done - maybe you could put together a small practice piece with a couple appliques---echo one & quilt onto of the other & see what you like. do you want to highlight/showcase your appliques? if so, echo quilt them...it's much easier than you may think.

I almost always quilt around my appliques, and depending on the size of them, quilting around a part of the inside of the applique. The only time I haven't done that is on 2 quilts I did that I quilted diagonal lines both directions (diamonds) with a blending color thread, and my walking foot and quilted through everything. The first quilt was a Country Threads pattern and a combination of piecing and applique, and I like how it looked, so I did it on another quilt.
It is your quilt, and if you think it would be ok to meander over everything, go ahead and do it. No quilt police!

I am probably a minority but am not a fan of invisible thread. I was recently introduced to a thread by Wonderfil called Invisafil. I have just received my first order of it and can't wait to try it for stitching around appliqué and SID. It is 100wt thread just like silk but with more of a matte finish. I am a professional long arm quilter.

Yes this.

I had appliqued a few baby blocks onto a quilt and when I did an all-over meander, I just caught the edges randomly. I used clear thread and it looked just fine.