Look at this Rooster
 

I need suggestions on what kind of design to quilt onto the Aida cloth. My daughter cross stitched 15 chickens and roosters and wanted me to put them together in a wallhanging. I got that done, but now am stumped as to what should be quilted on the Aida cloth that will not take the focus away from her work. The border is going to be done in hooked feathers that look sort like rooster feathers...from Sally Terry's book, "Hooked on Feathers."
I would appreciate any ideas.

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Maybe echo quilting around the chickens. Beautiful work.

How about cross hatching or something that looks like chicken wire?

I was thinking chicken wire too! Chicken wire is a little bit more complicated pattern than just straight cross hatching though.

Her cross stitch is perfectly beautiful. I agree that chicken wire would be best, the same as color as the Aida so as not to distract.

I love her work, so beautiful. I also would go with the chicken wire.

Beautiful cross-stitching. I would do chicken wire also.

i think chicken wire is good. or loop de loop eggs

This could be fun to quilt! Grass with eggs in it at the bottom, chicken wire at the top, or a barn, farmyard scene. I would do it in white thread so the chicken is still the focus, but the quilting gives texture and added interest when you get closer.

Oh such beautiful work, and I love the fabric you used to frame it. With my belief that less is better when quilting, it seems a shame that you have to quilt in that space at all. Maybe your hooked feathers could come into the edges of the aida cloth as you quilt the rest of the quilt, but only a little bit. I guess it depends on how far apart the borders are around the panel. With a lot of batting, you can go quite a distance between stitching lines. Your daughter did such a beautiful job. I happen to love counted cross stitch myself and do quite a bit of it, but never thought to put the aida into a quilt. Thanks for the idea!

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!

I vote for a chicken wire cross hatching. Great work, lovely pattern.

love him and all the beautiful fabrics used

Echo quilting is my favorite for something like this. I use echo quilting on all my fusibles and they seem to stick out a 1/8".

Beautiful cross stitching, great work No ideas on the quilting.

I'd go with Dunster's idea. Those roosters deserve special quilting. Please show when you are through. Beautiful!

Love the rooster! What a fun idea!

Beautiful work. Please be sure to post pictures when you finish.

I like chicken wire.

Her crossstitching is beautiful. I only wish I had that kind of patience. I would do the cross hatch or chicken wire;

Whatever you decide on, I'd do one row of stitching either uptight around the bird or about 1/8" away to make him stand out.

This is such a beauty of a quilt. Lovely cross stitching.

Love the chicken wire idea!! Perfect!!

My suggestion is take the block to your local Kinko's/Office Max, etc., and have several (10 or so) photocopies made of the block. Then, use a pencil and draw your echo quilting lines, crosshatching, etc., on the photocopies. You can try out several ideas without ruining the actual block.

Ditto....chicken wire

You could put extra batting under the chicken and stipple tight around the chicken and that will help it to stand out. good luck.

I vote for the chicken wire idea.

I agree with the chicken wire design, that rooster is a handsome dude!! great work!

I love the idea of printing papaer copies to practice on....I also like the idea of chickenwire as long as I don't have to do it. Whatever you choose to do can not take away the loveliness of this beautiful quilt!!

Beautiful cross stitchng go withsomething like a lattice if chicken wire is too hard

I agree chicken wire!!

I would take some Aida cloth and do a sample of echo and chicken wire before working on this beautiful piece.
Keep it simple. Oh, has the Aida cloth been blocked? With the large weave and being cotton, it is going to shrink more than the batik. I would go see a long arm quilter and ask them for some advice.
Diana in TX

Your choice of fabric with the rooster is perfect! What an eye you have!!!

Beautiful stitching.....

I think doing the chicken wire would make this piece fantastic.

Something like this would look nice - but I wouldn't quilt directly on top of the roosters.[ATTACH=CONFIG]321527[/ATTACH]Shari

Nice, Mom 3! Chicken wire is just hexagons--like honey comb.

Chicken wire would look great!
Or, maybe do a little ground with grass...and then a fence post and barbed wire...like it was a barnyard?

I would do the pebble look 1/4 way up and leave the rest plain.