MadQuilter

The batting tells you the minimum distance you need to quilt so the quilt holds up in the wash. HOW you manage to get that quilting done is up to you. Stitch in the ditch is just one method. Meandering is another method. You can do different kinds of straight stitching or you can do different kinds of free motion stitching. Or you can combine the two. It is totally up to you.

illinois

Yes, to all the previous comments. I do not appreciate the pantograph designs of the longarm quilts but this is my personal preference. I have spent hours piecing a quilt and want that to be the highlight of the quilt. I prefer to do the quilting so the piecing stands out. This can be done with stitch in the ditch or echo quilting. There may be designs to put in "blank" spaces then to highlight that area or give emphasis to the piecing. Again--my personal thinking. Your quilt is your quilt--do it the way you will enjoy all of the process from selecting fabrics, creating and then using it!

klswift

absolutely not. The quilting design you choose is the one you want to choose! I personally do not care for an allover 'jigsaw' type pattern. I am more of a linear person and like to do STID or echo or diagonal lines or a meandering grapevine down the sashing. The only thing that should be considered (other than your plan) is the distance between stitching and the requirements of the batting. If your batting recommends no more than 6" between stitching, then figure that into your design. But, this also can be tweaked. If it is a wallhanging or something that will get little use, then you can do less quilting. I tend to do more quilting on a child's quilt because I assume it will be washed a lot and dragged around and played with so I want it a bit sturdier. Just remember - Your Quilt Your Plan!

madamekelly

What she said! Follow the manufacturers instructions, and if SID is not close enough, you can always go back over it in another straight line, or to corner to corner until you feel better able to FMQ.

Also, just so you know, "quilt police" members are self appointed, believe they "know it all" and don't even have cool badges like we give the judges at quilt shows! Even if a "quilt show judge" says something is amiss in your quilt, they are always just suggestions.

Quilt30

What do the batting requirements mean?