Sorry, I got busy and only just got the quilt onto the frame on Sunday then was out all day yesterday.
Thanks for the link! I've seen a number of people say that ruler work on a DSM is possible, I think for me it would be a recipe for stitching my fingers (again) when I lost track of all of the things I needed to watch. With a machine on a frame, especially a well balanced one, you can drive it with one finger or hand and be pretty accurate, so ruler work isn't as scary (to me anyway).
Perhaps a test with a DSM using a tight weave like a batik might give the best chance at success.
I agree, it will have to be SITD for sure. I thinking of a leaves and vines sort of design for the borders. Fairly open to keep it soft where it's most likely to touch skin. I may do some tighter stuff in the center star to make it stand out more. The throat size on the Juki is going to limit how much I can get away with, and I'm really eyeballing a bigger machine, but for now, I'm going to try to keep on with it on the smaller frame.