On 3 of mine I have first of all done STITD where the border joins the main body. (Know you're not "supposed" to do this, but start in the middle, but I had no problem doing it that way).
Then flipped over and quilted from the back side up - as they are wallhangings they were backed with natural muslin so much easier to get an even quilting pattern being able to see where I was going.
I've just quilted Candescence and although its a black background I did front front side up using a red. There are no rules, just whatever is the best and simplest way to do it.
I've done a 3-colour thread border treatment, I'm happy for the first go doing something like that - will post when I finish binding tomorrow.
I do think the OBWs are more challenging to quilt, because the eye is always drawn to the kaleidoscopes, and I try not to detract from them. Some of the illustrations in the books are incredible - they are so imaginatively and beautifully quilted.
I keep going back to just oogle them.

Katrine,
Do you do your FMQ from the front or the back side? Is your back a solid fabric or a print?
My first back was pieced together strips from the fabrics I used on the front. I found it fairly hard to see where to go w/ my FMQ. I did feathers (Sally Terry's book "Hooked on Feathers"). The others I've made, I purposely made the backs be a solid color fabric, so I could draw on it with my chalk and see where to go. I've done feathers on all three that are done. I'm not sure what this next one will be, prob. a meander.
Also since I have 4 different prints,on this top, the general colored areas are forest green bkgrd. w/ the fish, blue bkgrd. w/ the loons, brown for the deer and medium to forest green for the evergreen needles. Should I use like colored thread for each area? I'll have to fmq from the front since the areas kind of meander across the quilt - no specific shape for each fabric.

I have some chicken fabric too. Mine has a mass of yellow chicks 7" X 6", then a nearby group of cocks 8" X 7", all on a brown background with little tufts of green grass scattered around. Is yours the same fabric?

See above, it depends on front fabric design really. I like a very fine thread for these and sometimes it's easier to do from the back.*

Personally I wouldn't change thread colours for different areas, but would use something like Bottom Line or Masterpiece in one colour. But if you want the stitching to show more, go for a heavier weight. I would select a colour which is most dominant on the print. Then again if you have largish separate areas of colours it may be better to use different colours.

*I use natural muslin almost all the time for backs - at French prices we cannot afford to back with print (or solid!) quilt fabrics. Unless it's something small like a crib or lappy.

I'd not heard of that book by Sally Terry, and just been reading the reviews - and have just ordered it! I'm still at early stages of no-draw fmq and I'm impressed by what people have to say about it, so looking forward to having a go!

This is my fabric - for once I remembered to take a pic before I cut it! ;) :lol:

Oohh Katrine another book? :mrgreen: when you've learned you can teach me, right? 8-) :D

Kathyrn, I think I have that fabric and I never dreamed about trying a OBW with it! Oh great...another one for my list of to-dos!! :lol:

Nope they aren't the same, but could very easily be companion fabrics. My group of cocks could be pulled directly from your fabric!

I pinned safety pins around the edge of the border, so could see them from the backside. Then I knew where to stay away from when fmq the body of the quilt from the backside. I fmq the borders from the front side later. All these OBWs are wallhangings, so not so large. The largest so far has been about 4' X 6'.

Katrine,
I really like the method that Sally Terry has come up with for making feathers. I want all my stitching to look free hand not like it came from a stencil. Do lots of practicing on paper with a pencil and if you can find large enough paper so you'll be drawing the same size that you'll be stitching on your quilt - all the better. You'll probably find it's easier for you to go one direction VS another. You make the vein first, I used my walking foot for that, but you wouldn't have to. Then you start from one end and make all the feathers on one side first, then go back and do the other side. I also like all the bazillion variations you can do to add variety to your feathers. Hope you have fun!