I find that "Stitch near the ditch" is easier than in the ditch. You stitch 1/4" away from the ditch and it even has a a special foot you can buy. But the trick is on larger quilts is to support your large quilt all the way around while you are sewing. No machine is powerful enough to pull all that weight through by itself. I use my regular size ironing board and a smaller tabel up against the sewing machine table to help support the quilt as I'm sewing.