So the top is done and it's huge! My plan was to hand quilt it, but how? Any good ideas? Because it is so big, I was hoping to do something simple. (I'd like to finish it by spring or so)

This is very nice and will lend itself quite well to an all over quilting design. I think a baptist fan would look good or just a simple 1" grid. Alternatively you can quilt a 1/4" from every seam.

no idea on the quilting, but I love the top!
how big are the pieces? (taking notes :-D )

quilt it in a traditional way such as 1/4" inside each seam (around each piece) really doesn't take long since you won't have to mark it!

I love your top.

I also think the quilting 1/4" inside each piece would keep the quilt "in character" as a Civil War reproduction. It is really pretty and that would be the crowning touch.

Your top looks nice. Have you googled Civil war quilts to see what kind of designs they used?

I'm not sure why you would want to handquilt this great scrappy top. I don't think that your beautiful quilting stitches will show to their full advantage. I'd just machine quilt this one, stitch in the ditch or a random meander and call it done! If a quilter goes to all the trouble to handquilt something, I'd like it to really show the time and effort that has gone into it. In my opinion a bright colourful scrappy quilt doesn't warrant this special treatment.

I actually really enjoy handquilting. It's very relaxing to me, not trouble at all. I was inspired by a quilt in an antique store that looked like this and wanted to replicate it. If I remember correctly, the one I saw was quilted with black thread in a scallop pattern. I might do that. It was very unique with the black thread.

you could do 1/4 inch down the length of the quilt through each one and then across. or do a stitch diagonally across them going both ways.
or baptist fan would look nice also.