intro and question

[msdawg]

I am posting for the first time and am making for the first time some (hopefully) quilted place mats, wanted to start small. I want to quilt them in diagonal straight lines about 1.5 in apart going in both directions. I have just a domestic machine and want to know if there is a way to keep the lines straight and consistent in some way other that drawing lines on the fabric to follow. Somewhat garbles sentence but hope you understand what I mean,I would be flapping my hands around as I talked if you could see me! Thanks for any help.
Sally

[LeapFrog Libby]

Sally, I keep a part of a yardstick (broken) lying right in front of my sewing machine all the time. When i need a measured line I attach a ribbon of bright color to the place on the yardstick that is measured with the distance I need. When finished I just discard that small strip of ribbon in the thread bag for trash. It works for me. I do not like to mark my fabric, I don't have good luck with that.