My goodness! What a beautiful quilt top. It IS a challenge isn't it? I would closely outline the appliques, and do some echoing, then something simple, but elegant like diagonal grids in some places and close simple stippling in others, thereby highlighting the appliques. (I'm thinking Diane Gaudynski's Quilt Savvy guidebook http://www.amazon.com/Guide-To-Machine-Quilting-Gaudynski/dp/1574327968 I have found extremely helpful in my poor quilting efforts). I love your quilt.

It's absolutely gorgeous and your applique looks perfect.

Why not outline the shapes as already said and do a small leaf pattern in matching thread so it doesn't compete with the applique (I agree with Lois) but you can enjoy while you gaze at it. (This from someone who knows nothing about quilting)

I guess what you mean by shadow quilting is echoing? I'd outline the applique so it pops. It's the star, after all. I like the grid idea in the center, but honestly, I would echo the quilting in the border. Your quilt is so beautiful as is. Use a matching thread for texture, and voila! It will be finished.

Karen, are you going to quilt it by hand, or by machine?

My imediate thought is this. Don't try to out do the applique with the quilting. The applique is the star here not the quilting. The quilting is to enhance, it's not to be the show. Relax! The most important work has already been done. Love. Love. Love, the quilt and your work. Don't try to out do yourself. It would defeat the purpose. It's already done. Just enhance. Don't out do! Great work. Thanks so much for sharing.

I love my newly finished applique quilt, but I am having a problem trying to quilt it. I want the quilting to enhance the design. My first thought is a center grid and straight lines on the border, but that sounds boring and it deserves more than that. I also do not want to only do shadow quilting. Maybe a combination of things? Any ideas would be helpful.