SharonAnne, I love your 'cat' quilt. You ask how it should be quilted. How the quilt will be used is usually the deciding factor as to how much quilting it should have. I just think if things are quilted too close they become so stiff and not cuddly. If I do any machine quilting it has to be SID and I do that mostly for quilts made for my grand children because I know they are used and laundered a lot. For wall hangings the design determines how it is quilted. Those are usually my guidelines.