I have used a long bed ruffle on the top of the mattress as the base. If you sleep with it on there, it doesn't stay in place, but it looked good after I made the bed up. I did have the same ruffle under the top mattress, so it looked like a double ruffle. And the base (bedspread, sheet, whatever) can be any color that you want or that matches your quilt. I do like it better when the base is a solid color. That way the quilt can shine.