Breath of Fire Zig Zag Quilt Progress

I have decided to quilt my Breath of Fire Zig Zag quilt with straight lines on Mrs.Bernina after all.  Mrs.Singer is acting up ... again.  :{  I have taken down the custom listings in my Etsy shop because Mrs.Singer isn't reliable enough at this point to ensure timely delivery of a custom quilt.  She will work beautifully for three or so quilts and then {crash} stop stitching evenly.

This Breath of Fire quilt really screams straight-line quilting, but this quilt at approx. 60" x 72" would be easier to quilt on Mrs.Singer, and for some reason I cringe at quilting this size of quilt by "hand" on Mrs.Bernina.  Weird how owning a long-arm quilting machine has made me consider quilting on a standard machine and table to be by "hand"!

Actually, I discovered last night that it is rather enjoyable to stitch straight lines with my walking foot.  Ah ha, I just realized that the part of the process of "hand" quilting that I dread so much is getting all of the layers {quilt top, batting, backing} together and secure.  This is different on a long-arm machine because each layer is held by a different rail {except the rail on which they all come together}, and the layers do not need to be pinned or fused together.

I ♥ fusible batting, and it once again proved reliable even on a quilt this size.  I always use Hobbs Fusible 100% cotton batting - pretty much because this is the only kind I can find.  Connecting Threads has all batting 30% off every few months with free shipping easy enough to qualify for, making this a very affordable option.  Fusible polyester is not an option as it does not work consistently and will gum up the machine's needle - don't waste your money!!  Fusible batting frees me from pinning {except at the corners because the corner takes a lot of "abuse" flipping around while quilting}, and it frees me from airborne glue.  I will not use basting spray because I do not want my family to breathe glue into their noses, mouths, sinuses, lungs, and ultimately their entire body through the circulatory system {is that explicit enough?}, nor do I want to pollute our home this way.  It will settle on all surfaces and leave a layer of ... well ... glue residue.  On my nice wood floor?  On my nice concrete floor?   On my nice wood furniture?  On my lovely pine cabinets?  On my hideously ugly sofas?  No thanks!!

I digress ...

Shown in the pic is Breath of Fire Zig Zag quilt in the process of being "hand" quilted.  Removing the covers from my ironing board provides an additional slick surface to support the weight of the quilt.  It's quite fun, and I'm thinking I'll do this more often as it creates such a nice grid pattern on both sides of the quilt.

The red you see on top of the quilt is my quilting gloves.  I ♥ them!  The provide a sure grip on the quilt and make the process much easier.  The pair below is Blue because they are a size Medium.  Size Small comes in red ... part of me has remained petite!