OK here is my story, I just finished pinning my quilt sandwich, it is going to be my first completed quilt, as I have done several tops. Since this is considered my practice quilt, I want to stitch in the ditch around the blocks and some meandering inside the squares. I have it pinned and ready to start.

Now, where do I start the stitching-in-the-ditch? Should I start at the corner? or in the center? Then when I'm finished with that, how do I start the inside of the blocks, I did not mark them, so I'll need to get a pattern to mark as I go?

Maybe I should be on here asking to be adopted??? Is anyone available. I haven't read the details and procedures of that yet?

Pick a place in the center for starting your stitch in the ditch. Then move out from there. Example, center seam, then one block over to the right, then one block to the left of center. Then if pins need to be adjusted, you can do that.

I was taught to find the seam that is closest to the center and stitch from edge to edge, then turn the quilt and stitch the seam closest to center from top to bottom to make a +. Or, if your blocks are on-point, go from corner to corner to make an X. Then, depending on how wide and long your quilt are, skip the next seam and stitch in the next seam, going from the center out and alternating the seams on either side of the center seam. Once you've done this both edge to edge and top to bottom, go back and stitch the seams you skipped, once again alternating the seams on either side of the center seam. If you have a border that you don't want to cross, start and stop at the border seam, shorten your stitch length and take a couple stitches to secure the stitching before you move to the next seam. Once you get through with all the crosswise and lengthwise seams, stitch all around the border.

Where in Pa. do you live?? Maybe we could get together.

I live in the W-B area, where are you?

Start in the center and work your way out. The quilting is the squares can be marked with a stencil or a marking pencil.