http://www.fabric-mill.com/infopage.asp?page=10&extra=1

http://www.quilt.com/QuestionOfTheWeek/1999/1018.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/4171.page

Here are some resources for you to try. HOpe it helps! I like the international stitch because it doesn't leave little fuzzy ends and it's much more durable. Although I've used this one, I really like Crows Foot even better! (see old links about that too)

We always tie our quilts for my church guild with all 6 strands of embroidery floss in square knots. If your squares are 4" you could tie in the middle of each (much easier than trying to knot through the corners where you've got all those seams to go through). But you should check the label on your batting - some say they need to be quilted no more than 2" apart. Otherwise you'll end up with a lumpy quilt when it's washed.

I made a baby quilt and didn't want the end of the thread to show so instead of tyeing it I just tacked it on my machine at the corner of each block. I used the same color thread as the fabric and you couldn't even tell. Just thought that I would share this method with you in case you didn't want to tie it.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

It helps to use a curved upholstry needle also. I lay the quilt sandwich out on my queen size bed or a large table then slip my cutting mat under the quilt backing. It helps reduce wrinkles if you start tying the quilt from the center out. When your needle goes thru the sandwich you don't have to worry about it catching on anything or scratching the table if the mat is underneath.

I've tried the curved needle and I don't like it.
I found this really nice embroidery like needle that has a flat tip to it. Works wonders. Don't know where I found it.

how do you tack a quilt block by machine? I thought I remembered Eleanor Burns talking about this years ago, but can't remember how she did it.

simple quilter

I had to try a couple different sizes of upholstry needles to find the right one for me........sure beats that big old darning needle my mother used. Now that I think about it, that old darning needle was used to string beans also.