I want to quilt my Warm Wishes quilt with an "echo" of sorts through all of the squares and strips. Right now, it's sprayed and still taped to my basement floor for the night before I start quilting it, but I want to plant this out before I pull it up. The picture below is a rough illustration of what I'm hoping to achieve. My thoughts were to tape out my lines with masking tape right on the quilt top, but I'm trying to decide if I should quilt each block completely before moving to the next, or do the lines in one direction all the way across (from the middle out to the sides) the row, do this in each row, then turn and start back in the middle going to the ends, connecting all of my "echo's".

I'm thinking if I did each block completely before moving on, where the lines meet will be more consistent, BUT, I'd have to turn my entire quilt all the way around several times to complete each block...it's close to a double sized quilt...that will just plain suck.

But I'm worried that if I do all of the horizontal lines, then all of the vertical lines that I'll have a lot bunching...

Am I making any sense?

Does anyone have any other ideas of how I could go about this on my basic little machine? I can't just SID, because my blocks are too big...

Just guessing, but I feel going in all one direction first would be the way to go.

I really like your choice to outline that way against the pattern of the fabric.

WOW! This is a quandry, for the very reasons you stated...
My thought would be to use a really really narrow zig zag stitch, just zigging back and forth enough to be seen. Then you could quilt your lines going straight across, and the little zigs would hide if you were slightly off on the corners. Nancy Zieman calls it a "wobble stitch."
I use it for SID, because it is forgiving...
Maybe try it on a scrap to see if you like it?

I really like this quilting design on this pattern :D:D:D

You might want to use the blue painters tape rather than masking tape. Painters tape is easier to remove especially if you sew over a bit of it. Otherwise I have no suggestions for your quilting, seems like you have it nicely planned out. Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.

I've done a similar design before, and I agree, turning the quilt around so much stinks. I did it FMQ. I almost always do FMQ now unless I'm doing long, straight lines. FMQ can be for straight lines, not just curves and designs. I think it's the best way to go for this. I don't know what machine you have, but I've managed FMQ on a cheapo machine (less than $100) in the past. It saves a lot of headaches with turning the quilt.

Hi! Just a sugestion for taping fabric. Use clear hockey tape available at sporting good stores. It sticks to fabric and doesn't leave a residue My dauhter discovered it when making costumes for her work, raising and lowerin hems for varios sized mini-performers. Can stay on for a long time and still no deposit! Her husband plays hockey on a regular asis and she didn't think of it until she washing his equipment. Jane

i was going to add about the painters tape too...masking tape if left on for any length of time leaves a yukky residue on your quilt that sometimes leaves a stain...use painters tape or a paper tape instead. and it is not a good idea to go all in one direction then turn...for the reasons you stated...you need to go in one direction then in the other direction, starting in the center, and working out in each direction, otherwise you will get the bunches you were concerned about.

I just did a quilt that had lots of lines going both ways. I did one way first and than the other. I didn't have any problems with puckers. It was spray basted and maybe that helped. I used a walking foot too.

I think I've got it sorted out. I did go buy some blue painters tape (thanks for the tip!), I started in the middle block and started by completing each block before moving on...it isn't dense or intricate quilting, but it took me an hour an a half to quilt two blocks! And it was very hard to turn the double size quilt around the seven times required to do just those two blocks.

So for the next two, I quilted just the lines in one direction, then turned and connected the lines in the opposite direction. It only took me 45min to complete the second two blocks! I'm sure once I get into the flow of it, I'll move faster and maybe I'll have it done before our Christmas (Christmas with my IL's will be early December this year because that is when my FIL will be home from Afghanistan for his R&R). I will be spending a ridiculous amount of time hiding threads on this one because I'm not snipping between lines. Should be fun.

As a side note, I finally bought a walking foot and it's great! But BOY was it strange at first with the extra moving pieces! lol

Good for you, I don't know how anyone could ever get away without a walking foot when quilting.