Need quilting advice
 

I found a 100% cotton tablecloth on sale for about $15. It's long enough to make a queen size quilt, but not wide enough. I bought a matching fabric to widen it with, added a white border, and you see the quilt top that I made below. Now, my idea was to do a sort of whole cloth quilt out of this. I want to practice my FMQ on this quilt. I had the idea to quilt the paisleys in a dark brown thread, and then create paisleys on the side sections also in a dark brown. I might want to do slightly more quilting than that on it, as well. My quilting friend thinks that an overall meandering type of quilting might work well on this. I'm hoping that some of you will give your expert opinions on what you think might work for this.
Thanks in advance!

Could you quilt the design that is in the fabric and meandering on the sides? Am I way out of line on this?

1st off.. love your idea!
The only whole cloth quilt I've made (so far), I used some pre-printed fabric as the backing and quilted it from the back side. It was an overall swirling design. The fabric was 108" wide I believe. Love your idea of how to quilt it too.

** Once the fabric was washed, the printing went away.. kind of like embroidery

I too would recommend quilting in the pattern already there. And maybe decorate inside each paisley. I think I would use an ecru thread just a shade or two darker than the background but not dark brown.

My choice would not be an all-over meander. This is such a neat piece, and would be made way more interesting by enhancing the printed/woven design. I think just about anything would look good on the outside borders - either something to match the inner design, or a meander that is different.

I would not use dark brown but a soft beige or off white thread...and would FMthe printed design in the fabric.

echo the paisley then do what you want on the edges

I agree with the others on your idea, but lightening the thread choice. I think (as weird as this may sound) that we should listen to the fabric. That was probably the fabric you heard when you came up with paisley. Maybe your friend would hear something else if she worked with the fabric and lived with it in her home, sewing space, and head for a while.
I know I sound out there, but maybe I am just explaining it wrong......or now that I think about it.....maybe I am out there!! LOL

When I did LA quilting, I would tell the customer, I would let the top tell me what it wants. I know some thought I was crazy, (I probably am), but always sent out a good looking quilt. Now I am looking for a sit down quilting machine.