Attached are 3 views of a hand quilted table runner I am working on (Nancy Chong's Quilt University Class from last year pattern). I have stitched as closely as possible inside the loops, but am at a loss at what design to put in the gold plain fabric. I am not a very talented hand quilter (but I enjoy it!), and don't think I want to combine this table runner with machine quilting. Does anyone out there have ideas on how I can quilt the gold area that would compliment the celtic design (that is relatively easy)?

take some of the elements from the center and hand quilt that or echo quilt the edge of the center:)

Perhaps just rows of quilting maybe 1/2" apart? Not sure I would wan't the double serpentine since that is kind of the border.

how about rays pointed to the center out to the border

Echo quilt all the lines.... or do the rays.

Very pretty

Very pretty! Great job.

Kat

No idea about the quilting, but I love the Celtic design!

Here is a link that might give you some inspiration as to a quilting design that might work for you. Scroll down the page and click the links to see possible patterns you could use. Even the rubber stamp patterns may guide you in finding a possible design to use.
http://www.aon-celtic.com/creading8.html

Some simple spirals will echo the fabric of the border, and are very Celtic. Dover publishes several Celtic design books, all open source, so no worries abut copyright infringement. And they are very inexpensive.

This is absolutely gorgeous, I can't wait to see it finished.