need some advice
 

I just finished this quilt top for my DGD and I was hoping to get some suggestions from y'all for quilting it. I will be backing it with fleece and not using any batting--they live in San Antonio, so it doesn't need to be too warm. I don't want to quilt it too heavily, so it will be soft. The flowers and peacock are appliqued on; I just can't decide whether I should do an overall pattern, like a grid, or I should somehow follow the appliques, or maybe something else.
I always get such good ideas from this board.

it is BEAUTIFUL! She will be thrilled!!!
i would do something meandering down the outer borders- maybe flowers- and probably some echo quilting around the appliques in the center- or echo the peacock & then quilt individual additional flowers around it-
there are so many ways that would be great- i hope you show it to us again when it is all done!

I think I would outline the peacock and smaller flowers and then do a wide crosshatch on the rest with a meander on the border. Perhaps leaves.

I think outlining the appliques, then filling in background with lattice type pattern. Feathering ing the outer boarder to honor the peacock. It is a very lovely quilt. I live in Tx, too. I love a very warm quilt!

I think any of the 3 mentioned would be nice. I immediately thought about outlining the peacock in echo quilting or doing a meandering stitch all around the applique. Be sure to post finished pictures. The quilt is very pretty.

I agree with you ! I think this would be stunning.

Can't tell you how to quilt but just want to say how beautiful it is. Love the color combo.

The colors are so pretty, it looks like silk.

I can't help you with the quilting but just want to say that quilt is absolutely gorgeous and I love the colors you used.

I agree with this.

Your suggestions are pretty consistent, so I see the way I think I should go. One more question: with the echo quilting around the appliques--should that echo the appliques themselves, or the exact shape of the peacock and flowers (my appliques are a bit bigger, and of course rounder, than the actual florals)? I'm thinking it should be the appliques, otherwise they might look odd with lines that do not parallel them--is what I'm saying clear?
Thanks so much to those who made suggestions. Also thanks to those who said they liked the quilt top--I really love it, too!

I would outline the exact shape of the flowers and peacocks and ignore the lines where the appliques were sewn to the backing fabric. Then echo the shapes two or three times to make them stand out rather than letting the applique patching standout. Your quilt is wonderful!

Your quilt is so beautiful.

How about some echo quilting if you are ready for it?

Beautiful quilt!

When I have a center focus thing like your peacock, I usually quilt around it to make it stand out and all the other surrounding appliques. Then, if I don't want too much quilting around it, I make like a sunburst radiating out from the center. To get this I first mark corner to corner, of course skipping over any of the appliques, making an X across the area. Then mark a + from center top to bottom and center side to side. Then I keep measuring half-way in between those and marking until I get the rays radiating out from the middle as densely as I want the quilting to be. If you want a better explanation, message me and I will email you a picture.

The quilt is beautiful tho I always have a problem with fleece backing stretching when I quilt it so I alway tie when I have a fleece backing you could use the colors of the quilt so it dosn't show that much such as black on black & blue on blue or use the peacock color all over.

I've never had a problem with fleece stretching, but I'll be especially careful about it, now that you mention it. I was planning on using black on black for the quilting--I don't want to do anything that will distract a lot from the peacock. My DGD wants a bright color on the back, so I'll probably use a different color thread on the bottom--not sure, but I usually don't have a problem using 2 different colors when fleece is involved because it has the loft that hides any tension problems--I'll try it out first, of course, and if it's a problem, I'll use black for both and you'll see the quilting on the back.

I fully agree with what Lori L said above about outlining the picture itself, not the applique shape. You want to hide the area where you sewed it down. It is a beautiful quilt. Please show us a picture when it is completely finished.

It's hard to imagine being able to hide the appliqueing, but I will go with yours and Lori L's advice on this. I'm not very experienced with appliques.

beautiful quilt. several good ideas presented for quilting.

Beautiful quilt.:thumbup:

Beautiful! Love the blue..Since they live in San Antonio, I would use awarm and natural cotton batting, not fleece. I live in Texas and it is summer nine months of the year. They would really like a light weight quilt.....just right under the air conditioning. They will love your work.
All over meadering pattern would be great since it is such a large quilt...l.quilt center motif following motif lines, then do stipple around that....
Diana in TX

Very pretty. Please let us see what you choose to quilt with.

Beautiful quilt! I think fleece is warmer than a cotton batting. Plus it can stretch, especially on a large quilt that isn't quilted with straight lines. Another alternative would be to use flannel instead of batting or fleece - BUT be sure to shrink it by prewashing 3 or 4 times.

Carol....please let me know what you do.....Iam in the process of making a t/shirt quilt for my D/L and she wants the back to be fleece....so I wont be putting any batting in the middle because the fleece will make it heavy enough....Ive not ever tried quilting on fleece.....so when you do decide to quilt a design I so would appreciate it if you let me know how this works....thx ever so much........Trish

Carol, I've wanted a peacock bedspread since I saw a chenille one hanging on line at a roadside stand. There are so many wonderful quilting ideas tendered here I don't think I could add any better but when I first looked at your beautiful top I thought "India" and embellishment with metallic or silk-like threads and spangles. It's beautiful.

In my limited quilting career I have quilted several quilts with fleece and never had a problem. This one I'm planning to spray baste. I just spray basted a baby quilt with just a fleece backing and it worked really well. I think if it's well basted, and your sewing surface is smooth enough, it should be OK.

I can't presume to advise you on quilting, but I just want to tell you that your quilt is beautiful!

I agree with the advice above; just echo quilt the peacock and then do cross hatching.