According to the folks who make Warm and Natural, "The side with "flecks" (plant and leaf particles) is the top side. The whiter side is the bottom side. "..... I use Warm and Natural on most of my customer's quilts, because they really like the way the quilt washes over long periods of time. When I mount the quilt on the machine, I always think in terms of the bumps being face-up, and my reminder is to say "Bump it Up!". Then I lay the quilt top on, and get started. This has worked well for me for years.