The cross hatching in the center took especially long. I drew the design first and didn't have a ruler that exactly matched the curve I needed. I had read about someone who made their own templates using three layers of kiddie craft foam that are glued together. That sounded like a great idea so I bought some and cut a template - I could cut it with scissors and it was like cutting through butter. Unfortunately, it was about as useful as a template made out of butter; it was so soft that the foot kept mooshing up against it making a wobbly line.
I was afraid I was going to have to do something different in the center and it was really my favorite part so I hated to change it. Peter suggested trying 1/4 inch balsa wood so we tried that. It also was soft and easy to cut with a craft knife but held up a little better when I used it to quilt. Still, I killed a few but it was for a good cause. (I named them too) It's not a technique I recommend!
The quilt is so heavily quilted that from the back it looks like a wholecloth quilt.