Opinions - Please!
 

I just finished my very first fusible applique - love the colors, love the design (not mine) but am dithering about how to hand quilt it. As you can see every other block is blank and I traced a design that I like onto one of the blank squares. Now my dilemma - do I quilt all the blank blocks with the same color thread or do I do each block with one of the three colors in the main design? I don't usually procrastinate on these things, but this one we will keep in our guest bedroom and I'd like it to be perfect (or as perfect as I can make it - LOL). The other concern I have is about the design I traced - is it the right size for the blank squares or should it be smaller or bigger? Am trying to attach two pix, but don't know if I can. Many thanks for your help in getting me started on the quilting portion of this, and quilting is the part I love best. Whoa, I just previewed the post and those pix are LARGE!!!! OMG, I have no idea on how to make them smaller.

Since you fused on your appliques, what type of stitching are you going to do with the appliques?? Are you going to try to do a hand stitch buttonhole stitch to keep your applique attached to the quilt top?? I think your design looks fine. If you are new to quilting, I would use a quilting thread that matches the color of your background fabric. I think you have made a very beautiful quilt that you should be very proud of it!!

I think the size of your traced design is perfect as long as it meets your batting's quilting requirements.

Since you are hand quilting it and want it to be really nice, I assume you are pretty confident with your hand quilting skills. If so, use colors! I think colored quilting will look fabulous. With my hand quilting skills (which do not exist), I'd try to hide it as much as possible! :)

I like your quilting design -- I think it would look really nice with one of the colors of your blocks. You did a nice job on your applique.

WOW, looking great so far! I think the size of the quilting design is about right. I'd want it to be about the same size as the applique. Also, I think I'd like the quilting best done in all the same thread color, whether it matches the background, or is one of the colors from the applique. Can't wait to see this when you are finished with it!

i love your quilt and the quilting design you chose. i'd probably use the sashing color for the quilting.

If you're going to use colored quilting thread, I like the idea of using the sashing color. I would probably match the background color but then my hand quilting isn't good enough to want to show it off.

Thread color
 

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. As I mentioned, this is my very first applique which I fused and then machine blanket stitched around each part of the design - don't think applique will be my first love! I will shadow quilt the blocks with the applique design and then quilt the blank squares with the design on the picture. The idea of using the sashing color works for me and will be visible on the blank squares. I'm so excited to begin the quilting but it will be slow going and I don't expect it to be finished anytime soon. The quilt is a king sized but it is laying on a double bed, so the ends will fall almost to the floor and the top should be able to cover the pillows. Again, my deepest appreciation to everyone for their help in getting me started!

I'd use the same color for each block, probably the green. Nice work!