I attach below a photo of a border that I'm trying to quilt. As you see, the border fabric is of leaves.
I want to quilt around each leaf. I started hand-quilting, which allows me the greatest control, but I cannot come close to neither an acceptable stitch gauge nor an acceptable rhythm; in addition, it will take more time than I have (quilt to be auctioned 22 May; it's lap size and there are about five yards of this border), and I'm not sure that either my eyes or my hands are "young" enough to get through this process. (P.S. I've never hand-quilted anything before.)
On the machine, I have only ever done stitch-in-the-ditch with a standard foot. Last night I attempted to attach a generic walking foot (purchased at Hancocks recently) to my 1970s Monkey Wards machine; doesn't fit. I have other feet for this machine, but not a walking foot. There is a "foot" with only a "circle" through which the needle would go.
I'm thinking of trying free-motion but know nothing about it. And as I look at the pattern, I fear that I'd have to do a lot of stop-start as I jump from one group of leaves to another.
Basically I think I'm in over my head (not that that's stopped me in the past) and need advice from quilters here.
Sending to a free-arm quilter is not an option. a) I have no way to compensate her; b) my piecing on this leaves (ahem) much to be desired in places (i.e., I'm embarrassed to have anyone else look THAT closely at it); c) I doubt there's time.
Suggestions? I really do want to quilt around these leaves.