Sharon Schamber has some free videos about the starch technique available on Youtube:

Sharon Schamber's Beginning Quilter : Magical Basting p1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1RgiLI9GI

Sharon Schamber's Beginning Quilter : Magical Basting p2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmcdOz-ypwU

I guess all the wonlkies won't be totally hidden to the examing eye....but it is very pretty and special in it's own right. After it is quilted and goes through the wash once I bet any little mistakes won't even be noticed!

I can tell you this....the very first quilt I ever set the blocks on point came out "wonky" too.....once it was stretched on my floor frame to be hand quilted, it was only slightly better. But, as I worked across the surface, the backing was coming up short, even though I had measured the correct additional 4 inches all around. So, the moral of my tale is this......IF you are going to hand quilt it, I highly recommend putting it in a floor frame,(which provides some stability for the wonky) and be sure to add many additional inches to the backing to accommodate the way these "wonky" quilts seem to shift as you work across the surface. Some of those "puckery" places will quilt out as you are working the surface....some won't. It just becomes part of the "uniqueness" of this quilt.

I think the quilt is pretty and worth finishing up...regardless of it's faults. I still use the wonky quilt I did to this day...and it is appropriately named..."The pieces just don't fit"!!!!!!!

This is a great post. As a beginning quilter, the experienced information here is invaluable. leatherflea, I hope that the many tips and suggestions here help you with this project. I will be so anxious to see/hear how this turns out. The quilt top is lovely.

I agree with the others... just get it quilted in the best way you can (and don't point out the issues you had trying to make it perfect). She would be DELIGHTED to find that under her Christmas tree even if you just did the meandering puzzle pattern on it for quilting.

I never was a perfectionist until I started quilting... and I don't think it's one of my better qualities now...LOL I'm NOT a perfectionist with house cleaning...and laundry... but with my quilting...and flower gardening.. I am and sometimes I make myself NUTS over the most minor things.

She will LOVE the fact that it's finished and I'm sure she will cherish the fact that you made it happen!

BTW? She did a very nice job! Had rotary cutters not been invented I don't think I EVER would have started quilting. I am not patient with the cutting aspects, but the rotary cutters changed all that!

Very pretty quilt,IMO. I agree with QuiltnNan, Baptist fan would be great. A Heritage quilt deserves a traditional quilting style.

I agree with quiltinnan. The Baptist fan would be perfect and if you come across a tuck, just do a little extra design to cover it up.

Have you considered tieing it with thick batting for the sandwich? Still press it first. That would certainly be faster.

I use puffy (Quilters Dream Puff) batting. That helps "hide" many issues. I would longarm it using a meandering pattern. That will help too. The top is all straight lines and the meandering will give it a new dimension to look at.

If you do decide to hand quilt it, quilt it in a hoop and you will be amazed how you can work in almost any imperfection, including bumps and lumps. Will be very pretty.