This is jaw droppingly amazing! First, welcome to the board, second you are absolutely amazing to have figured out how to do this with your computer then to have the tenacity to see it through.

Do you want this to be a quilt in the traditional sense, ie 3 layers sandwiched and then held together by stitches? It would definitely stabalize this work of art and also make it functional that you could incorporate a sleeve and hang it or actually cuddle up with Mr. Hiddleston.:D

I would definitley consider a longarmer but one who is very good and be prepared to pay the price. But a good longarmer to do this quilt justice will not come cheaply and someone who will do it cheaply is likely not good. You don't state your location but there are LAers capable of doing this wonderful work of art justice all over. I would highly recommend they do the quilting in either silk or invisfil. Both are very fine threads that will sink into the fabric and enhance your work not overtake it. If you google images of portrait quilting you will get some hits of the kind of work I am recommending. Here are a couple links to illustrate what I am talking about. Hopefully they work.

http://stitchesoftime.files.wordpres...ks-quilt-2.jpg


http://www.quiltingdaily.com/cfs-fil...f-portrait.jpg

As others have said, (and I lack experience) there is a real question of batting / filler. The seam allowances are so packed and so even that they pretty much provide a layer on their own. Sorry i can't show you guys in person but teh quilt does feel quite... spongy when held. It has an unusual texture to it.

I also wonder if I would want to have someone sew following the contours of the face, or if I would have them follow the pixels in the ditch. I like the idea of spiralling around the pixels while still contouring a bit.

Also, it would be neat if a quilter could highlight the shakespeare quotes I stamped onto the background.

Adding a layer of batting I think would help to stablize it and if your end goal is to hang this beauty the batting will help it hang straighter. It will also absorb many of the lumps and bumps and spongyness of the seam allowance. A thin batting would work best, i think but something with a bit of body to it. It will of course add to the weight.

I would recommend avoiding ditch stitching the pixels. I think contouring the face would have more impact. Plus the quilter would most likely swirl those pixels anyway as the pixels represent shading and it would give the quilter an opportunity to swap out thread colors that would best blend with the shadows created. But remember a LAQ is working only about 18" away from the work so much of the shading would be lost on him or her in the quilting process. It would probably require marking areas where a change in thread color would have the most impact as well as marking areas that are the nose, cheeks etc. The portrait won't be visible to the quilter once it is on the rack and only 24" or so are exposed at a time.

I was wondering what the letters were in the background. Thanks for saying. Having a quilter highlight that can be done but it may not warrant the cost. the letters are on 1/2" squares, that would be some serious detail work. But the area would have to be quilted in some way.

Awesome work

OMG!! If this is your first quilt I can't wait to see what's coming next!!:sew::wave:

:thud: This is astounding. My hat is off to you!

Are you kidding me?!!! That is amazing! That would be amazing for a very experienced quilter, much less your first top! Big congrats! Sorry that I don't have any advice, but will definitely look forward to seeing more of your work!

There are a zillion seams in this quilt. Quilting will be a challenge for LA. Because I gave away the one
I made I cant remember how I quilted it. I just know it was simple and I dont think I quilted the face. Probably meandering in the background. Mine was a wallhanging. You may get some ideas here http://quiltedphoto.com

First of all props to you for such a challenge. At a quilt show last year I saw a pixel quilt of a lion that was very large like yours. She tied the quilt but did the ties in front and after completing it she realized it needed to be tied with the ties on the back. She had the same problem with the weight and it had even pulled out of shape from hanging at the show. I'm wondering if using an iron-on stabilizer cut in strips and applied in a grid would help control the shape.
P. S. Take the advise of sending this to your local paper and also contact some quilt magazines.

WOW - what an amazing quilt. I would never ever attempt it. My hat's off to you.