For smaller quilts, I take a ruler to get a 45 degree angle. Any angle will work, I just like the 45. Then I use masking tape to make a straight line across the quilt. Then I decide how far apart I want the quilting to be, and go from there. I don't like a quilting foot, but I have the little bar that goes on the regular foot that I use for my spacing. I go in one direction all the way and then do the same thing again in the other direction, making a square of sort. If you have the wavey stitch on your machine, it makes it reall pretty. No one will know it the stitching lines are off. Good luck.