Ready to quilt tree skirt-suggestions?
 

I have appliqued the panels-started to do some embellishing before I asked your opinions, so I am hoping they won't interfere with the machine quilting (DSM). If I quilt each section ( top and batting only), will I be able to sew the panels together? Maybe trim the batting out of the seam allowances? Or should I stitch the panels together and then quilt for a more cohesive look? I will leave one seam open-my DIL asked that I use Velcro instead of ties so she can turn the skirt each year....will cross that bridge when I come to it! :)
I remade the sleigh panel-discovered that I grabbed the wrong background fabric after it was completed the first time around, and I will switch the sleigh and house panels so the deer are looking at each other....the things you see when you take a picture! Looks like the gingerbread people need to be next to the gingerbread house.........

It is hard to see. Usually buttons can interfere with quilting so you just have to know when they are getting close when you are quilting. I think this would be gorgeous if you crosshatched the background. I use to quilt my Sunbonnet Sue after attaching all the decorations. I would do a few tiny stitches as you approach an applique, then just jump over the applique, then a few more tiny lock stitches and continue quilting. Very pretty applique.

I would assemble the top batting and back as usual. I love hand quilting with hand applique. But the cross hatching did sound nice. Although some ground looking squiggles and some loose clouds would be great.

the appliques are lovely - great designs.

Your current layout is visually balanced, but maybe put the gingerbread men and gingerbread house next to each other, the snowmen and sleigh next to each other, and the manger scene and wise men panels together?

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I would probably quilt large and small swirls around the skirt leaving an area around the appliques the shape of a cloud.

You could treat this as a QAYGo project - pie shapes instead of squares - then bind it.