Could you give me a suggestion or two, please?
 

Hi, friends. I'm trying to decide how to finish up this wedding quilt for my DGS and his bride but am having a hard time. I sure could use some ideas from all of you.

This is the quilt top. I had to make it larger than the original quilt for a queen sized bed so I added a blue skinny border and then the drop width with those delectable mountains on the edge.

So, here's the problem. The elephant is elaborately quilted with grey thread and it's coming out okay. But how should I quilt the background? And, should I quilt the inner background differently than the outer background?

Here's the two thoughts I've had. I could quilt wiggly vertical lines across the entire background or I could do a meader stitch across the whole thing. Or, I could do the wiggly lines inside the blue border and meader outside the blue border. I've ordered peach thread for the background. I'll SITD around the blue and do an echo stitch for the mountains.

Any suggestions? Which of my ideas would you choose? Or maybe you can come up with something entirely different. Help!

Those Mountains set it off beautifully. I am not sure how to quilt it but however will turn out well. Have a quilt out being done and she will do a wavey line up and across about 4 inches apart. That works!

I think I'd outline stitch around the elephant, do a loose meandering inside the blue border, and stitch up to the blue border from each of the mountain peaks or valleys. It is really wonderful so far!

No help with quilting ideas, but what you've done is great so far!

Outstanding what ever you do will be beautiful

I wouldn't have thought of orange for the background, but it is perfect! You have wonderful color sense.

I'm not a fan of meandering, except for very small stippling. I love Tartan's idea of leaves, vines, and bamboo. Here's a bamboo design idea from Leah Day - https://freemotionproject.com/2009/1...oo-forest.html. I would probably do the same thing in the background and the border, so all the orange areas are visually connected. I can't wait to see how this turns out.

I was thinking a grass design.

ITA .... tall blades, inter-tangled, as the elephant pushes its way through!

Great Quilt ... NannaUpNorth!

I think I would do radiating lines (like from a sun) all around the elephant and keep her the star that she is.

I also like the idea of a leaf motif, although radiating lines would certainly be dramatic.

What a stunner! I like the idea of the vines, leaves, bamboo in the area around the elephant--but I'd do something else entirely on the border --maybe just simple lines in the orange and about 1/4" inside the color peaks.

I was going to suggest the radiating lines around the elephant, too, but then wonder if echoing the outline of the elephant's body would somewhat suggest motion. I'd outline the mountains with some stitch in the ditch to secure the layers. Not sure about the orange space there but that might be your medium for the vines etc.

You all have such great suggestions. Thank you. I still haven't decided what I'll do in the background. The picture does make it look like it's orange but it's really kinda peachy. The bride and groom picked out the fabrics. They were so cute in the QS auditioning the colors. The bride wanted the peach. The wedding colors are light teal and peach. And they were insistant about the elephant. It puzzled me but they said elephants stand for all kinds of qualities you want in a marriage like hard work, patience, strength, wisdom and trust. Okay! I get it.

Stay posted. I'm getting closer to making a decision. I wish this quilt would talk to me. Sometimes they do, don't ya know.

Your quilt looks amazingly like one that I did of the same pattern. Wasn't it fun?! My background really is orange.

I did a kind of free-for-all quilting in my background, but I did use a "topographic" fill pattern that I really liked. It gives lots of texture.

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Well done! Your quilt is beautiful, and the way you upsized it to make it queen is perfect.

Oh, I love your quilting cat-on-a-mac. It works so well with the quilt. I'd love to see the whole thing!

That is one spectacular quilt!

I love your elephant and the mountains in the border. I don’t think that you want to do anything too intricate in the Quilting to take away from the elephant. Just my thought.

This is a great idea. My friend owns a quilt shop and has this on her wall. The whole thing is quilted in straight lines about 1/2 to 3/4 inch apart and this really sets it off. It's gorgeous with the background you have.

If you do a double echo around the mountains do you really need any more in that area? I would leave it at that and then do a gentle wavy line vertically in the elephant area. But, I am one of those who prefer less quilting to the thicker stuff. No matter what you choose, that is a beautiful quilt. Your color choices and the mountains are perfect for the elephant!