Glad to have helped, perhaps by posting the Google Images link. When I went to look for that, it was just perfect for showing the difference!
Your raffled quilt is very striking; wish I could have seen it close up and finished. :)

Jan in VA

Did you use various stencil designs or are the feathers all freehand?

You say this is not going to be used, but rather put away to be a future heirloom.....hopefully there will come a time when your lovely and intense handquilting will be seen and greatly admired.......

No,really she won't hide the feathers.She will inhance them.Because when she puts something behind the feathers it will visually push them forward.I'm a longarmer and putting a tight design behind those feathers will give you more bang for your buck.I think the grid would be best.JMHO

No stencils were used. I found part of the image in a search, I then drew 1/4 of the design to fit my dimensions. It was drawn on standard size copy paper that I taped together. When I was happy with it, I carefully took the papers apart and made 4 photocopies of each one of them. I then taped all the photocopies together, sprayed it with basting spray and laid the fabric on top and traced it with one of those water soluable markers.

I'm sure it will be displayed, but never actually used per say. I was already commited on the other quilt that I posted a photo of when they announced her pregnancy. I had mentioned that if I wasn't doing that one, I would have made her a wholecloth baby quilt. She googled what a wholcloth was, fell in love with them and asked if I would do one after the other project. I told her the baby might be a year old before it was finished and it didn't matter to her, she just wanted it as an heirloom.

I thank everybody for their suggestions! I'm going to mark it in a 1/4" grid with pencil. After all the feathering is done, I can then decide what it needs. The hand stippling would be freehand, so it would still be an option. I'll post some photos when I complete all the feathers.

Absolutely beautiful design! Your feathers are close together in some areas, there I would echo the feathers. In open areas between the feathers , I would again echo the feather and then fill in with cross hatching. I would do this in the center medallion and then choose what fits else where. The echo is what will make your feathers stand out! I would love to see it finished.

My thoughts exactly!

I like the grid idea. It will make a nice contrast to the soft curves of the feathers.