They do not have to be really close together! Echo quilting is very close together and usually outlines something on the quilt. You can make a choice by what you think would look nice. The challenge is to make the lines equally apart as you quilt and that can be difficult the first time, so don't be too hard on yourself. If you like the look of seeing the loft, then you need a fair amount of space between quilting lines. Good Luck.