The only thing I know is that it is the way some women quilted years ago when they were making a true utility quilt. They hand quilted it, but not in the teeny stitches we like to achieve. Apparently, the stitches were about 1/4" apart, and they were not quilted with a fine thread, but something larger. There is a book called Utility Stitching, and it apparently has been out of print for quite some time. You can find them, but they are $$$$expensive$$$$! So, I'm trying to find out more. Guess this will be educational for several of us!