If you plan to have pets on the bed, I assume they'll sleep on top of the quilt. Please be aware that this puts some stress on the ties if you're tying it. It puts stress on the fabric, too, but that should be OK if it's cotton (or mostly cotton). I used embroidery floss to tie a quilt for my son, and after some years of sitting on it and having cats sleep with him, the floss yanked right out of the back of the quilt, creating huge holes. I had to deconstruct the whole quilt and throw away the batting and the back before I could restore the quilt to its former "glory." Even then, I had to repair holes in the top. I highly recommend machine quilting!!
Also, if you use cotton batting between a cotton top and cotton back, you shouldn't have any bearding.
I really like your quilt top and it is worth spending a little more time on so that it lasts and you can enjoy it for many years to come.
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 10-28-2019 at 03:22 AM.
Reason: shouting/all caps