Yep, diagonal lines. Beautiful colors.

I fully agree with this post. And the blues are to die for! Great job.

A beautiful quilt! Really, really love the blue fabrics! Any way you choose to quilt it will just add to its beauty.

Love your Blues. The quilt looks crisp, very nice.

I love your quilt. Have you considered buying ot making a quilting frame that would allow you to quilt without basting?
I have done almost all of my quilting by machine. Large quilts I take to our senior center so that I can pin baste them on 2-3 tables pushed together.
In answer to your question, however, if it were mine, I would stitch in the ditch on the blocks, but put a pattern, such as a vine, on the sashing.

I agree. It's going to be a stunner.

I agree. It's going to be a stunner.

rachelg,
I agree with QuiltnNan and crafterrn1.

QUOTE=crafterrn1;5027826]I agree with QuiltnNan I would stitch on the diagonal thru the blue 4 patches. Then I woud either stitch in the ditch the white rectangles or a curvy pattern. I love this quilt as blue is one of my favorite colors. Luann in CT[/QUOTE]

best,
d

I would quilt in the white squares with a blue thread. I have a simple design in mind but cannot draw on this site. It is a lovely quilt; beautiful work.

gorgeoes quilt...I love basting spray also.

I read all the posts & went back to the sketch of quilting that you posted. As in seeing it the 1st time & now, I still think that your sketch is the way to go. I like the no quilt break of the small blue squares. I also agree with so many others that however you quilt it, it will be stunning.

I agree with everyone who has suggested a continuous line diagonally through all the blue squares, in both directions. Yes, it's hard to go through all those intersections but by modifying your stitch to a "punch & stab" just at those places you can succeed.
For the white rectangles, rather than use tape laid next to the seam take a small piece of that tape and put it on the thumbnail of the "non-needle" hand & use that as a 1/4" guide for your needle to aim for. Another possibility--I think an elongated pointed oval in each one would be pretty. There is also the "egg & dart" pattern that would work beautifully.

Love the quilt!

I would stitch in the ditch. I really like the colors - nice work

your quilt is beautiful. i love the blues. i think the diagonal stitching would look great. post a pic when you have quilted.

I vote for the diagonal also. The stitch in the ditch is not that easy on a quilt that has ANY seam pressed or laying in the wrong direction and it also doesn't add to the quilt. Do something really nice in the white blocks. They will be that special surprise when you get closer.

depends on whether you want to emphasize the geometric or add another focal point. just attended quilting workshop with Alex Anderson, where she talked about having quilting being more or less equivalent over the body of the quilt.
i'd suggest perhaps 1/4 inch quilting within your 4 patch and cable for the white and small block. i.e. cable crosses over the blocks in a continuous line from top to bottom and side to side.

You've been given great advice already, just wanted to say how beautiful your quilt is!

Your quilt top is beautilful, I love the blues. I can't comment on hand quilting. I'm a machine quilter. Good luck.

I had no idea about the number of stitches for batting. Thanks, I've learned another new thing from this group!

It is a beautiful quilt top. I tend to go toward hand quilting. It's the reward for all that sewing!

I recently saw a quilt quite similar to yours where they did stich in the ditch down the sashing. In the 4 patch a design was quilted that covered the entire 4 patch

Blue is my favorite color as well. It is beautiful. I have only tied quilts by hand or stitched in ditch on machine for smaller projects. So I will listen to more experienced quilters as well. But beautiful. Teresa

Thank you all for your replies and nice comments! This quilt is for my almost 16 year old son...I am thinking I will do the stitch in the ditch for the white rectangles and diagonals for the rest. Still not sure about the border...but I do like the egg and dart pattern that was suggested. I have this very same top already done with Moda Soiree. I had wanted that one to be the one I first machine quilt on (since it will be for me). Will try something different for that one. I used a blue jelly roll that I got off ebay for this one and was quite pleased with the selection.

Oh...and I got this pattern from a book titled 'Jelly Roll Quilts' by Pam and Nicky Lintott

Thank you again, so much, for all your help!

Now to get it done..

Lovely quilt. You did such a good job. I like the diagonal idea too.

Very pretty quilt, whatever quilting route you choose will only make it prettier.

Very pretty quilt. I'm sure your son will love it.

Rachelg, I had a quilt with warm/natural as the batting & was having all kinds of trouble HQ it. Someone on a quilt group that I belong to said it is very hard to HQ through W/N. I sat down & took out all of the stitching that I had done (it was really quite alot)took uot the w/n & replaced it with Quilters Dream Request. It is like quilting through butter. As different as day & night. I thought it was me as I hadn't HQ for 25 yrs & I thought I had lost my touch. I will keep the W/N for my machine quilting. Just a thought. Have you HQ using W/N before?

I had heard once that stitching in the ditch was not good for the seams, but that may before good machine stitching (seams, that is).
Personally, I like to see the quilting, especially if I did it by hand, so in the ditch can be less visible.
1/4 inch from the seam is easy to do: after a while you really know what 1/4 inch is!
I have done diagonal lines and such and find my stitches start to wander, even if I think I know where I'm going...
:0

hi...thanks for your post! I just finished a quilt I handquilted with W/N....it was challenging sometimes. Sore hands and fingers some days, but it was okay. I am using warm and white for this one, but have not started yet. I have not tried the Quilter's Dream Request. I have some Quilter's Dream Cotton...same thing?? Also have some bamboo and hobbs wool to use....looking forward to a project with those battings. I have a very large UFO that I would love to handquilt with something that quilts like butter!

I am sure to have to use the tape or some kind of guide so I don't start wandering all over, lol. :)

I use the 1/4 inch tape, and I love it! It can only be repositioned once or twice, but I prefer it over chalk or other marking methods when quilting straight lines. And I have to say I agree with everyone who has posted - fabulous quilt!

That's my suggestion too - a diagonal through the 4-patches.