Originally Posted by feline fanatic

See if your library can get you a book about quilting in sections, like Divide and Conquer: Quilt it your way by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan. They have a technique where you cut the batting into sections (I think they do three) so when you quilt in the center you only have the bulk of the top and backing to deal with on the sides. You put your section of batting in only when you are ready to quilt the area.

As for quilting, I did my lone star by hand and did have the aforementioned "cupping" in the very center portion of the star. I quilted a 1/4" away from every seam so every diamond had a smaller diamond quilted within it. Here is a link to pictures I posted of it. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...lt-t22341.html The quilt did quilt flat for me.

I see no reason why you couldn't do the same only do continuous curves in each diamond instead. I think it is more forgiving than SITD. In the big background areas you can do any FMQ design you are comfortable with.