On larger quilts..........this was approx. 63" x 72", I cross hatch using painters tape and a walking foot. I use a temporary spray adhesive to sandwich, measure from one corner using the 45 degree mark on my ruler and mark the longest diagonal line with wide painters tape (usually about 1 3/4" wide). I do pin down the center of the tape however, because the throat on my domestic sewing machine is just 6 1/2" and manipulating the quilt through the throat can dislodge the tape. I sew, using the walking foot, down both sides of the tape and then move it. If you use two lengths, you can use one as a spacer, so that you can sew down both sides of the next tape. Here is the Yellow Brick Road I did using the cross hatch method. I never have trouble with puckering and don't alternate the direction of the stitching. I try to sew with the bulk of the quilt to the left of the needle whenever possible.
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