Thank you everyone for your replies. I believe my friend was told to stitch in the ditch to stabalize the quilt first. I know that it wouldn't show on top, but it would show on the back, and like I said earlier, with some designs, it wouldn't look good. I just wonder, if you have the quilt basted well, why would it need more stabalizing? Have any of you had bad things happen when you don't stitch in the ditch?