Here is a picture of the Seahorse I made using Laura Heine's pattern and instructions. In addition to her pattern, I also bought a small book of hers with more details and ideas. I love how it turned out. For the background I used a hand dyed fabric that I purchased for another project that never got off the ground. I thought it was just right for the Seahorse. Quilted it on my Pfaff dsm with a clear thread. Just wavy lines that I hoped would give a feeling of water movement. I did get some stickiness build up on the needle. I finally kept a bottle of alcohol and some tissues near the machine and cleaned it off when needed. There are needles now that are supposed to be non-stick, but it sounds like you have a plan for using heat so maybe that will work you. I'm sure you will love your sunflowers. Have fun!