Welcome to the board from southern California. I use tape to mark my straight lines, especially if they are diagonal across the quilt. Just be sure to use the blue painters tape. It comes off easier. I pull the tape up as I come to it, never stitch on the tape. I have had a time or two where some stickiness from the tape stayed on the quilt and it caused my sewing machine foot to sorta drag and messed up the quilting. It is now in the garage (the tape not the quilt) so I won't use it again. I guess I just had a really sticky roll of tape