azwendyg

You've been given some good advice on how close to quilt, and I want to offer another suggestion that might make this experience more enjoyable for you. I certainly wouldn't want to plan to do Stitch in the Ditch on a large quilt. I think it would be more than just a little difficult to keep up the concentration it takes to stay right in the ditch for all that quilting!

Instead, you could perhaps do diagonal lines from edge to edge through the centers of the blocks as Annaquilts suggested, or even just wavy lines in an all over grid pattern. I LOVE to mark with blue painter's tape. You can just follow the edge of the tape with your presser foot edge, or use it to just form general guidelines if you are doing wavy line quilting. It is much faster than marking with a marker, and removal is WAY easy! Just be careful not to ever sew on top of the tape. You can even pull the tape off and reposition it a few times before it looses its stickiness.

gspsplease

Hi, I used to SITD all the time as I thought it was the easiest way to quilt; but I would always agonise over the number of times my stitching came out of the ditch and wandered along a bit before I got it under control. Also, my hands got tired spreading the quilt seams open, even when I used quilting gloves to grip the fabric. Then I decided echo quilting would look nice on some small squares I had used in a lap quilt. Was that ever a revelation! I now LOVE echo quilting and find it so much easier than SITD -- I just run my foot alongside the seam which is much easier than staying straight in the ditch. My last quilt was all pinwheels and looked great (in my opinion LOL) with triangular echoes in every second segment, and also along the outside border. I may never use anything else!

jaciqltznok

rule of thumb used to be no space larger than your closed fist should be left unquilted.
In today's world of "over quilting" or better known as "quilted to death", I think it is a bit too much!
So for each quilt, one must find their own happy place! Only you know what you are capable of and what you want the quilts end result to be. Have fun with it!

An Arm Long

I agree with the echo quilting as easier on the eyes and concentration using your foot as a guide. But don't be afraid to be creative even if it is your first quilt. Just make a practice quilt out of old fabric or muslin and try it!

117becca

i hate stitch in the ditch - if it's not precise, then it can look sloppy. I agree that echo quilting is simpler. I hand quilt, so i like to use stencils to make designs in the blank spaces. I am consistent w/ the density of the quilting on the quilt.

krysti

Thank you all so much! I thought of the echoing; but wasn't sure about it. This quilt is going to be worn out. I started my first quilt to be for my 5 year old little guy; because I knew he wouldn't notice all the errors. 2nd one will be for the 7 year old girl for same reason. Then I'll work on quilts for the rest of the kiddos because hopefully by then I'll be a bit better. I definitely think I will try to do a little echoing and see how that turns out as well. Oh, also--what about the borders? Do you quilt them as much as the rest of the quilt? Thank you all again! I LOVE this board!!!