hi ,I only hand quilt and never do in the ditch. I found The Stencil Company on line www.quitingstencils.com and love it! Placed an order Thursday and hope they come today. To me, hand quilting is the best part of making a quilt. I use a floor frame that Hubby bought for my b-day 10 years ago and love it. So quilt whatever you like. There are no quilt police here. :D Ninnie in NC