I'm making a log cabin quilt, with pictures of flowers from my garden in the centers. My question is, after I get the top all pieced, how do I quilt it? Should I keep it simple (in the ditch) or do you have other suggestions? Please help.

Carol

Hand or machine quilting? What does the backing look like? Do you like simple or elaborate?

I am not trying to be rude by answering a question with a question. How elaborate will your skills allow you to be & how long do you want to spend quilting it? If you are using a busy backing fabric, then most of the quilting will not be easily seen if sewn by hand or machine, so it comes down to your preferred resulting look. Do you have a more simple backing that might could use some "dressing up" with a bit of extra quilting? In the ditch will make a nice geometric pattern on the back. (If you do this by machine, I highly recommend a walking foot.) You could ditch quilt around the squares, & outline the flower motifs by hand or machine. The choices are endless!! :D

What are the logs material? Are you wanting to emphasise the logs or the flowers? You could quilt vines across the logs flowing from one "flower" to the next. You could mimic the flowers in the blocks...! I usually have to wait until it "speaks" to me before I get a quilting design to go with. To test a design....like ditch quilting....pin from the back after you have sandwiched ...a small section and stand back and see if it works... Try a few stencils with chalk and se if they work...You have lots of options. Wait until finished and then look at it for a couple of days...it will let you know.