Help please with design
 

I sandwiched this quilt top a few months ago. Finally decided on a design. I am not sure if I should start quilting the small squares or do the large motif first. Was going to do feathers, but changed my mind. Also do you all think this is a good design for this top?
I did not want anything to busy. Comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for all your help.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]508798[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]508799[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]508800[/ATTACH]

Nice. I might do this in straight lines of blocks then fill in the alternating blocks with a Fleur de leis or lotus flower. It looks like you put these blocks on point so I would take every other row and use your design on them then the rows that are still empty, use just the simpler center design. Lotus flower would look great with your pattern.

I think your design as sketched is a perfect one to use
(........ that would be purrrrrrrrrfect in honour of your avatar kitty! :))

I love the motif you used and it will be perfect for the quilt. If you map it out you should be able to do it continuously. I think you will be best off doing the larger motif first but use one bit of continuous curve (in your small squares) to travel from one block to the next. Then you can go back and do the rest of the smaller squares.

OK I just went back and looked at your design. Do you plan on ditching where you have the straight lines drawn? If so, I would do all the ditching first to anchor everything. Then you can proceed in whatever manner is most easy for you to do. It won't matter what order because everything will be anchored into place from your ditch work.

I have nothing to offer but anxious to see the finished beauty! Going to be lovely, I just know it. Already gorgeous!

I hadn't planned on ditching. Those lines were where I drew the design of the quilt to decided on what to put in that
area. Do you think I should ditch? I do all my FMQ on my domestic machine so will be starting from the middle and working out.

I like your design a lot. I would do SID first and then the designs.

There are many schools of thought on that. DSM quilting gurus, Harriett Hargrave and Diane Gaudynski say to always ditch to stabilize the quilt. then go back and do your fancy stitching. It is up to you. My personal opinion is a ditched quilt always looks nicer. It gives definition to the piecing and more importantly, gives you a place to travel inconspicuously so you don't have to tie off as often. There is no right or wrong. I have seen plenty of nice quilts that had no ditching and others that were nothing but SID. I like to use both. But not everyone wants to take the extra time and effort to do the ditch work nor pay the additional charges for ditch work by a LAQ.

I like your design. I have done similar quilting with squares and diamonds. I do the ditch first (FMQ) and then come back and do the curves in the squares. Then quilt the motif last.

Thanks to all of you that replied. I have decided to do the SID first. If this turns out good, I may enter it in the fair this year.

Yes, I like your design too. Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt. What pattern is that?

I love the quilting design. Love the design on your quilt also.

I love the design you drew. It will be lovely!

I like the quilting motif you have chosen, it should really accent your quilt blocks. When I have watched quilting shows, most teachers will tell you to anchor the quilt with in the ditch quilting, then you have a stable quilt to stitch the more elaborate quilting. I do like the curved stitching on the squares, and I think I would do those first.

Stablize either with SID or at least around borders, etc. Then do the block motifs, and use your continuous curve in the light squares to travel from motif to motif. Nice design---please post when you finish!

You can stitch in the ditch to anchor the sandwich, using water soluble thread. Then do your FMQ. Then when you wash the anchoring stitches will be gone. I did a queen size quilt that way, sewing the rows with water soluble. Then I did feathers continuously all over.