I have started in the middle and worked both in rows and circles..THere have been times that I have alos worked from one end of the quilt to the other

Even though I'm quilting just my first quilt, I started in the middle and worked outward from there... I did the middle row horizontally, then the middle row vertically and then outward in each quadrant... I had thread basted the quilt before beginning... It seems to have helped me smooth potential puckers...

Have fun quilting!!!

I agree with everyone's ideals(comments). I start in the middle, and go to the left or right. More or less in a circular form of quilting.. Don-isewman

In my more than 40 years of handquilting I usually start in the middle and work out. It seems to work the best no matter what kind of frame or hoop you are using.

This is exactly what I do. I quilt in a hoop and start in the middle. I make sure the fabric is pulled tight before I start stitching. I have never had any puckers quilting this way and the quilt turns out nice and flat.

I have done it several ways. I have on of the grace frames, and when I use that I start from the edge. When I set up a big floor frame, that takes up a full room, I start on the edge with that as well. If I am working in a hoop, then I start in the middle. For the quilts that I do in a hoop, when I sandwich the quilt, I use the basting spray, get everything really smooth and then I put pins in it. This is because it may get moved from room to room.

I start in the middle and work outward. That way it seems to be getting smaller and I "Feel" like it goes faster. Did that even make sense? LOL

At the moment I'm working in a standing hoop, quilting the Baptist Fan pattern. Because of the narure of this pattern I started in the lower right hand corner of the quilt, working across the quilt, row by row. In order to prevent puckering, I was more careful to baste the quilt more than I normally would. So far, so good!
It makes very good sense to begin your quilting in the middle of the quilt, but sometimes, depending on your quilt design, you may need to prepare your quilt differently so you can still get the best result.

I use a lap hoop frame and quilt each block from middle out as I go.

I hand quilt with no frame or hoop and I always start in the middle, and then sometimes go around in circles working my way our or sometimes to one side and then the other, depends on the pattern I am quilting