Losie, I think I have the perfect suggestion for you. "Machine Quilting Whole Cloth Quilts" with Cindy Needham is a Craftsy class that I think you could benefit greatly from. I actually just joined the class and I think you would love it. Cindy has been quilting for 45 years. Once you watch the videos, you will probably be inspired and have a great idea on how to proceed with confidence. Cindy highly recommends hand died sued cotton made by Cherry Wood. She says that she uses it more than any other fabric. She also likes Duponi silk a lot, and Radiance by Robert Kaufman which is half silk/ half cotton. She talks about stabilizing it with a light weight woven fusible to prevent it from being too slippery to work with. She even suggests a product to take the stains out of vintage linens that seems to work like magic. I think this class would be perfect for you.