I've done a similar design before, and I agree, turning the quilt around so much stinks. I did it FMQ. I almost always do FMQ now unless I'm doing long, straight lines. FMQ can be for straight lines, not just curves and designs. I think it's the best way to go for this. I don't know what machine you have, but I've managed FMQ on a cheapo machine (less than $100) in the past. It saves a lot of headaches with turning the quilt.