Choosing how to quilt a top
 

This is the bit I hate! I've made my top : now how do I decide how to quilt it? It scares me, because I might ruin my carefully-pieced design. My latest is a simple design using 3.5in squares. How would you quilt it? (bearing in mind that I'm not a very skilled quilter). My go-to is stippling, but what else (not too difficult) works with squares? I'll be using my home machine.

Either diagonal or straight lines through the squares. Another idea is to choose a color that works with all the squares, use that in the bobbin, and quilt it from the back (choose a backing fabric with a neat pattern on it). If you like modern, concentric circles would be cool too, which I have to mark to keep them circle-y.

I am far from an expert on picking a design to use when quilting but I like to keep it simple - especially since you have a fairly simple top - so I would go with a cross hatch or straight lines up and down then crossways.

I love the look of crosshatching. Simple when you don't have to mark it, just stitch from corner to corner to corner. It really helps to see a photo of your quilt you are working on. Then we can suggest may even the color of thread to use.

I'll post a photo tomorrow. Prepare to be dazzled! Thanks for the replies so far - I waa thinking along these lines. Good to have it confirmed.

Here are some ideas I've used.

Jan in VA

Thanks Jan - some gret ideas there.

There's a really good book that will help you with chosing quilting designs.
A Fine Line, Techniques and Inspirations for Creating the Quilting Design,
by Melody Crust and Heather Waldron Tewell
The Quilt Digest Press, 2001
ISBN 0-8092-9884-8

Thanks for the recommendation... and Jan, thank you for the wonderful visual.