I would most surely wash it if I go that direction Lesley. I think I'm going to check on maybe a wool or something other than the W/N. I've always used it and I love it, but it tends to get so stiff when there is much quilting on it. I think that either Kathy or Jackie said that they use a wool...I'm going to have to go back and check.
I've also been reading a Civil War Diary Quilt book that Esq (my Secret Santa) gave me last Christmas. They have pics of lots of small block. They were rarely quilted in the ditch. Lots of them have melon type quilting patterns on them..I'm going to look into doing it more that way so I won't be turning the quilt...just more of a FM type quilting.