I was told by Cindy Needham that stitching in the ditch is the best way to start even if you intend to add more quilting. I always do it first. It holds everything together. Once you do that, just work on one area at a time. Don't think about the whole quilt, just concentrate on each section, then it won't seem like such a monumental task. If you don't do anything else, well so be it. If you are happy with, it that is all that counts.