If you have a serpentine stitch on your machine, it works better then stitch in the ditch but basically serves the same purpose. You just don't have to worry about the basically impossible task of keeping the stitches in the ditch. I got this tip at a machine quilting class recently and it's saving my sanity. Also you need the proper setup, a table behind the table that holds your machine and one next to it will help support the weight of your quilt. I also usually wind up throwing part of quilt over my shoulder to support it.